Here's something refreshing: The Huffington Post, required reading for the left-wing punditocracy, seemingly puts aside politics, dismissing the long-running debate over whether to raise taxes or cut health benefits to expound on how mobile and wireless technologies can transform numerous industries, including healthcare. Jonathan Spalter, chairman of wireless advocacy group Mobile Future and a former IT and media executive who worked in the vice presidential office of Al Gore, comments on his organization's new report about the potential for wireless to improve many sectors of the American economy.
"Wireless innovation can help our nation achieve the seemingly paradoxical goal of reducing costs while enhancing patient care," Spalter writes. "Remote monitoring of just four major chronic diseases, including diabetes and congestive heart failure, could help millions of Americans stay out of the hospital and avoid complications, while saving billions in medical costs." Those of us who know health IT don't see any paradox in reducing costs by improving care, but the general public and the political class could use all the reminders they can get. By the way, did we mention that many of these breakthroughs come from American ingenuity?
For more information:
- read Spalter's Huffington Post piece
- download a copy of the Mobile Future white paper (.pdf)