Making healthcare systems more like the video game Minecraft could help to improve coordination of care, but exclusion of patients from decision-making, the billing process and implementation of unique systems get in the way.
Isaac Kohane, chairman of Harvard Medical School's Department of Biomedical Informatics, writes at STAT that watching middle schoolers navigate the virtual reality game "filled him with envy" for how easily the players used tech to coordinate their efforts.
"I can tell you with assurance that the use of team technology in the American healthcare system lags decades behind the seamless coordination that Minecraft players take for granted," he writes.
IT systems in healthcare that are completely unique aren't the right way to better care, he writes. That has led to systems that are cumbersome, expensive and stifle innovation.
In addition, "medical records conflate billing with clinical care," he says. Doctors must very careful document care to get the right reimbursement for services instead of working toward better communication.
Another issue, he notes, is that patients until recently were not major participants in care conversations, despite the fact that such involvement can improve outcomes.
However, the industry is making strides in these areas, including through efforts like Blue Button and Sync for Science.
"Once clinical data is freed and under individual control, an entire new industry will spring up to serve our needs, much as an ecosystem of applications grew once consumers were able to directly access their own financial data," he writes.
To learn more:
- here's the STAT article