Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare? Prof. Vance Wilson Arizona State University Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare? Prof. Vance Wilson Arizona State University An

Can Web 2.0 Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare?reform healthcare?

Prof. Vance WilsonProf. Vance WilsonArizona State UniversityArizona State University

An electronic copy of this presentation is available online athttp://vancewilson.com

22Can Web 2.0 Reform Healthcare?Can Web 2.0 Reform Healthcare?

Web 2.0: What is it anyway?Web 2.0: What is it anyway? Web 2.0 term was coined five years ago to describe a new Web 2.0 term was coined five years ago to describe a new

wave of wave of HIGHLY SUCCESSFULHIGHLY SUCCESSFUL web applications which web applications which apply web technologies in novel ways; these include:apply web technologies in novel ways; these include:

social networking: 200 million active Facebook userssocial networking: 200 million active Facebook users

wikis: Wikipedia had 67 million unique visitors in 9/2009wikis: Wikipedia had 67 million unique visitors in 9/2009

podcasts: PodcastAlley.com lists 4.7 million episodespodcasts: PodcastAlley.com lists 4.7 million episodes

video sharing: YouTube streams over 1.2 billion per dayvideo sharing: YouTube streams over 1.2 billion per day

blogs: over 900,000 blogs are posted every dayblogs: over 900,000 blogs are posted every day

microblogs: over 5.5 billion tweets have now been sentmicroblogs: over 5.5 billion tweets have now been sent

mashups:mashups: TruliaTrulia, , NewsMapNewsMap, , TwittervisionTwittervision


What does Web 2.0 offer business?What does Web 2.0 offer business?

Promotes business objectivesPromotes business objectives Generates buzzGenerates buzz

Distributes informationDistributes information Replaces or augments printed materialsReplaces or augments printed materials

Increases capabilitiesIncreases capabilities Podcasts, online videos, and mashups inexpensively Podcasts, online videos, and mashups inexpensively

extend business reachextend business reach Supports collaborationSupports collaboration

Social networking and blogs make it easy to interactSocial networking and blogs make it easy to interact Motivates participationMotivates participation

Inherently more interesting than bulletin boards, etc.Inherently more interesting than bulletin boards, etc.


Why focus on healthcare?Why focus on healthcare?

Healthcare is a Healthcare is a HUGEHUGE industry, accounting for industry, accounting for 16-18% of U.S. GDP in 16-18% of U.S. GDP in 2009 and projected to 2009 and projected to grow at 7.3% per year grow at 7.3% per year through 2013through 2013

IT investments are IT investments are growing growing FASTERFASTER than than overall healthcare, so overall healthcare, so funds exist to support funds exist to support Web 2.0 expenditures Web 2.0 expenditures

2005 2011

$16.4 billion

$35billion

BCC Research

Healthcare ITInvestmentProjection


Why focus on healthcare?Why focus on healthcare?

Healthcare is in the Healthcare is in the NEWSNEWS

Broad agreement exists Broad agreement exists that healthcare needs to bethat healthcare needs to beREFORMED*REFORMED* in order to in order toprovide greater access,provide greater access,restrain cost growth, andrestrain cost growth, andimprove qualityimprove quality

Yet Yet NONENONE of the conventional solutions being offered to of the conventional solutions being offered to reform healthcare gives much consideration to the role reform healthcare gives much consideration to the role that Web 2.0 applications might playthat Web 2.0 applications might play

* A Google search on “health care crisis” produces 45 million results* A Google search on “health care crisis” produces 45 million results

Who is building Web 2.0 apps Who is building Web 2.0 apps in the healthcare domain,in the healthcare domain,and what do they plan and what do they plan to accomplish?to accomplish?


Personal health recordsPersonal health records

Goal: to let everyone securely store and manage medical Goal: to let everyone securely store and manage medical information for themselves and their families onlineinformation for themselves and their families online

If you prefer a different flavor, Google If you prefer a different flavor, Google is also developing a PHR productis also developing a PHR product


Health Q&A platformHealth Q&A platform

Coming in 2010: Builds on success of WebMD and Dr. Coming in 2010: Builds on success of WebMD and Dr. Oz show by supplying expert answers and blog-style Oz show by supplying expert answers and blog-style commentary to participants’ health questionscommentary to participants’ health questions

““Leveraging the power of social networking . . . Leveraging the power of social networking . . . contributors ‘share care’ through personal experience contributors ‘share care’ through personal experience and expert knowledge”and expert knowledge”

Supported by Discovery Supported by Discovery Communications, Harpo Communications, Harpo Productions, and Sony Productions, and Sony Pictures TelevisionPictures Television


Medical knowledge wikiMedical knowledge wiki

Free medical knowledge base . . .Free medical knowledge base . . . Can be read by anyone, but primarily targeted to support Can be read by anyone, but primarily targeted to support

medical professionalsmedical professionals Can be edited by any registered medical practitioner in the Can be edited by any registered medical practitioner in the

UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, or New ZealandUK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand All content (over 6500 topic pages) and administration (~450 All content (over 6500 topic pages) and administration (~450

editors) is provided by volunteerseditors) is provided by volunteers

Translation: Translation: Get a note from your doctorGet a note from your doctor

Sermo, an online community of ~115,000 U.S. Sermo, an online community of ~115,000 U.S. medical doctors, provides similar opportunities for medical doctors, provides similar opportunities for professional interaction in non-wiki formatprofessional interaction in non-wiki format


Experience matchingExperience matching

““Like a Facebook for those who suffer from multiple Like a Facebook for those who suffer from multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease and other ailments . . . sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease and other ailments . . . allows patients to share stories, treatments, drug side allows patients to share stories, treatments, drug side effects and more”effects and more”


Online communicationOnline communication

Communication between patients and clinical staffCommunication between patients and clinical staff Enhanced online services, including prescription refills, Enhanced online services, including prescription refills,

lab test results, appointment scheduling, and paymentlab test results, appointment scheduling, and payment


Epidemic mappingEpidemic mapping

Utilizes an automatic text processing system to aggregate Utilizes an automatic text processing system to aggregate data by disease and display by location through a mashupdata by disease and display by location through a mashup


Cost transparencyCost transparency

Online marketplaces for medical testing and broad-ranging Online marketplaces for medical testing and broad-ranging services; provides an important step toward increasing services; provides an important step toward increasing consumer power in healthcare marketsconsumer power in healthcare markets


We know thatWe know that Web 2.0 apps are popular overallWeb 2.0 apps are popular overall Healthcare is in crisis & needs reformHealthcare is in crisis & needs reform Numerous Web 2.0 apps are now Numerous Web 2.0 apps are now

being targeted toward healthcarebeing targeted toward healthcare

So . . . how much reform can simple So . . . how much reform can simple software actually generate, given software actually generate, given several key barriers that exist?several key barriers that exist?


Barrier: Barrier: The healthcare industry is slow to The healthcare industry is slow to accept change, especially involving ITaccept change, especially involving IT

Historically, healthcare has lagged general business in IT Historically, healthcare has lagged general business in IT investment by approximately a decadeinvestment by approximately a decade

Current increased investments are targeted largely Current increased investments are targeted largely toward electronic medical records and other “back-shop” toward electronic medical records and other “back-shop” IT, not toward Web 2.0 appsIT, not toward Web 2.0 apps

HOWEVERHOWEVER, application development is being funded , application development is being funded largely by organizations outside healthcare (Microsoft, largely by organizations outside healthcare (Microsoft, Google, Sony Television, and independent start-ups)Google, Sony Television, and independent start-ups)

This effectively bypasses the role of healthcare industry This effectively bypasses the role of healthcare industry in accepting or rejecting initial Web 2.0 capabilitiesin accepting or rejecting initial Web 2.0 capabilities


Barrier: Barrier: Healthcare is about medical Healthcare is about medical procedures, not keeping patients happyprocedures, not keeping patients happy

Historically, medical practice has focused on cures rather Historically, medical practice has focused on cures rather than preventionthan prevention

Patients have been viewed as compliant subjects of Patients have been viewed as compliant subjects of treatments rather than partners in the processtreatments rather than partners in the process

HOWEVERHOWEVER, many modern health conditions, such as , many modern health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, are addressed better by prevention Type 2 diabetes, are addressed better by prevention tactics which can be supported by Web 2.0 appstactics which can be supported by Web 2.0 apps

Increasingly, patients are informed consumers and want Increasingly, patients are informed consumers and want to actively participate in decisions about their healthcareto actively participate in decisions about their healthcare

The The BANKINGBANKING industry presented similar barriers in the industry presented similar barriers in the early 1990s; banks that stayed offline are now defunctearly 1990s; banks that stayed offline are now defunct


Barrier: Barrier: Patients Patients areare happy with the happy with the current healthcare systemcurrent healthcare system

80% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of health 80% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of health care they receive care they receive ((Gallup Poll, 9/2009Gallup Poll, 9/2009))

HOWEVERHOWEVER, patients , patients are notare not happy about the current happy about the current availability of online access to their healthcare providers availability of online access to their healthcare providers ((WSJ/Harris Poll, 9/2006WSJ/Harris Poll, 9/2006))

Three-quarters want online access to see lab results, Three-quarters want online access to see lab results, communicate with physicians, schedule appointments communicate with physicians, schedule appointments and receive documentsand receive documents

Over half of patients surveyed say online access Over half of patients surveyed say online access would influence their choice of doctorswould influence their choice of doctors


Barrier: Barrier: Patients have little individual Patients have little individual power to change the healthcare systempower to change the healthcare system

Due to the way healthcare payments are structured in Due to the way healthcare payments are structured in the U.S., patients have had relatively little consumer the U.S., patients have had relatively little consumer market power compared to other major purchases, such market power compared to other major purchases, such as appliances, automobiles, and housesas appliances, automobiles, and houses

HOWEVERHOWEVER, the U.S. insurance industry is moving , the U.S. insurance industry is moving toward toward consumer-directed health plansconsumer-directed health plans which require which require patients to pay directly for routine care patients to pay directly for routine care

Web 2.0 applications increase consumer power by Web 2.0 applications increase consumer power by Providing ratings of physicians, clinics, and hospitalsProviding ratings of physicians, clinics, and hospitals Increasing transparency of services and chargesIncreasing transparency of services and charges Automating the process of acquiring a new providerAutomating the process of acquiring a new provider


Returning to the original question:Returning to the original question:

Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare?Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare?

DiscussionDiscussion


Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare?Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare?

An electronic copy of this presentation is available online at

http://vancewilson.com

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Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare? Prof. Vance Wilson Arizona State University Can Web 2.0 reform healthcare? Prof. Vance Wilson Arizona State University An