From my first encounter as a kid with Nostradamus, I’ve been a sucker for predictions about the future. And it doesn’t hurt if they’re couched in scary, end-of-times imagery. Shout out to all my Mayan Calendar fans – it’s time to party like it’s 199 … uh, I mean 2012. Things seldom turn out the way we think they will, but it’s still fun to peer into the crystal ball of the future and make your best guess. So, to start the year off right (since it’s probably our last), I give you the gift of the future of Health IT, as seen through a glass darkly on the Interweb:
Information Week reports the following predictions from IDC Health Insights:
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Electronic Health Records will be in widespread usage by US providers as 2012 comes to a close. Sadly, all of the providers will be destroyed in the cataclysmic end-of-times before they can collect on their "Meaningful Use" bonuses.
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Successful Accountable Care Organizations will emerge from private or public-private initiatives. Only to be driven back deep underground by giant rocks raining down from outer space.
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A minimum of 70% of health insurance and technology resources will be directed to improving consumer engagement. Unfortunately, 100% of the consumers will be busily engaged in extinction from earthquakes, tsunamis, and the plague.
Robert Rowley of Practice Fusion offers the following predictions:
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Usage of web-based Electronic Health Records will continue to grow. ...Then stop suddenly on December 21st.
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Real connectivity will make significant progress using point-to-point solutions, such as Direct, and platform systems, such as … that’s right, Practice Fusion. With ultimate connectivity being achieved on the 21st as space rocks mash humanity into one big mass of human jelly.
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Anonymized “big data” from electronic health records will significantly increase our medical knowledge. Until anonymized “big rocks” significantly decrease it by force.
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Consumer data will flourish, and become linked to personal medical data. That’s right, our data will outlive us. Some people fear the rise of the machines, but it’s really the data we should fear as it has the real advantage on us.
Kaiser Health News predicts that 2012 will be a big year in healthcare because of the continuing impact of the 2010 federal health law. While, in case you can't tell by now, I predict it will be big because of all the apocalyptic dying and destruction.
Seriously, though, what are your big predictions? Where do you think Health IT will go in 2012? I’d love to hear from you. Comment away below...Then we can all look down from Mayan Heaven in 2013 and see how right we were.
-Michael Hunter, 5AM Solutions
