Unneeded Medical Tests: Is It Time to Just Say No?

Nine medical societies, in a campaign dubbed Choosing Wisely, have identified 45 common medical tests and procedures that they are encouraging doctors to use less often, and patients to demand less often. The societies say these tests are frequently unnecessary and can, in some cases, cause more harm than good. 

Some health experts estimate that overprescribed tests, procedures and treatments cost up to $250 billion every year. They range from EKGs, MRIs and brain scans to Pap smears, bone scans and the overuse of some antibiotics and cancer drugs.

Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms

Editor’s note: This is Part II of a guest series written by legendary Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures. In Part I, he laid the groundwork by describing how artificial intelligence is a combination of human and computer capabilities. In Part III, he will talk about how technology will sweep through education.

I was asked about a year ago at a talk about energy what I was doing about the other large social problems, namely health care and education. Surprised, I flippantly responded that the best solution was to get rid of doctors and teachers and let your computers do the work, 24/7 and with consistent quality.

Later, I got to cogitating about what I had said and why, and how embarrassingly wrong that might be. But the more I think about it the more I feel my gut reaction was probably right. The beginnings of “Doctor Algorithm” or Dr. A for short, most likely (and that does not mean “certainly” or “maybe”) will be much criticized. We’ll see all sorts of press wisdom decrying “they don’t work” or “look at all the silly things they come up with.” But Dr A. will get better and better and will go from providing “bionic assistance” to second opinions to assisting doctors to providing first opinions and as referral computers (with complete and accurate synopses and all possible hypotheses of the hardest cases) to the best 20% of the human breed doctors. And who knows what will happen beyond that?

As Smartphones Get Smarter, You May Get Healthier: How mHealth Can Bring Cheaper Health Care To All

Smartphones and tablets are transforming the future of health care. Can we really trust them to save lives?

Disney gives hospitals advice on consumer service

The happiest place on earth is dispensing consumer service advice to hospitals, arguably the ones in need of it most.

Disney Institute on Friday announced its professional development program for hospitals and healthcare organizations aimed at applying Disney's customer service strategies to exceed the expectations of patients. Building a Culture of Healthcare Excellence, as it is called, teaches Disney's five philosophies of leadership excellence, people management, quality service, brand loyalty, and creativity/innovation.

 

Chinese Healthcare Reform and the Medical Device Sector

An important element of China’s 12th Five Year Plan is reforming the country’s healthcare system. With the objective of establishing basic healthcare coverage for 90 percent of its citizens by 2020, China’s healthcare reform, along with other elements of the 12th Five Year Plan, creates immediate opportunities for U.S. medical device manufacturers (MDMs). While China is more than capable of meeting local demand for low-end devices such as dressings, sponges, drapes and gowns, more than 80 percent of high-end medical devices, i.e. durable goods, equipment, implants and drug eluding stents, are imported. However, China’s healthcare reform plan also has the potential to strengthen the position of Chinese MDMs. To protect their position in the long run, U.S. companies must develop strategies designed to capitalize on the opportunities and navigate the challenges of this increasingly important and competitive market.

5 strategic tools to solve our healthcare woes

We are facing, before the end of this decade, a bifurcated future. The way things are going now—with the economy wheezing, doctors bailing, chronic disease rising fast, boomers sliding out of the Viagra years into the Depends years, reimbursements getting squeezed ever tighter, Medicaid sputtering on fumes, and 30 million or more new people soon swarming our doors with insurance cards—if we don’t pull a rabbit out of a hat real soon now, we’re in serious trouble.

Microsoft’s Gates, Baidu to Start Global Health Alliance

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates and Robin Li, chief executive officer of China’s most popular search engine Baidu Inc., said they will form a global alliance for public health.

The first initiative by the alliance, between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s richest charitable fund, and the Baidu Charitable Foundation, will be a program encouraging smokers to quit the habit, the foundations announced at a press conference in Beijing today.