Drawing Conclusions from Rising Preterm Birth Rates

When Gro Brundtland released the WHO’s World Health Report 2000, American health leaders were shocked by the United States’ rank of 37th. That score was a composite of five marks. We did well in areas such as training, high-tech diagnostics, and elaborate specialty intervention. But we didn’t do as well when it came to the […]

A New Take on Peer Review?

Over the past few decades, I’ve spoken to more than a few medical editors and helped fund several International Congresses on Peer Review, which have always drawn the same conclusion. Peer review doesn’t work. So why haven’t medical and science leaders changed it? Simply because they haven’t known where else to go. Now, however, the […]

When Change Overtakes the Changers, Watch Out!

Twenty-five years ago, MTV revolutionized TV by going direct to kids, in their language, on their issues, with their images. They benefited greatly by being first to market with a new idea. With 82 million monthly visitors to their channel, and healthy brand extension, they should be feeling pretty good. But they’re not. Why? Because […]

Social Health Capital: Sorting Out Complex Communications

Any of us who have dealt with a health crisis in the family know that one of the challenges is keeping everyone informed during a period when all of your energy is focused on keeping yourself upright and moving forward. A wonderful example of technology applied to human need, rather than technology for technology’s sake, […]

Smart Innovation — Making Home-Centered Care Work for the Everyday Person

I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the past 6 months advancing the cause of a technology-enabled, preventative health care system that’s centered on the home. At the core of such a system would be a primary, virtual, electronic loop from home to care team and back home. Data (vital signs, diagnostics, sensors) go […]

How Computing’s Bumping Up Against Energy and Health

Used to be the doubling of computing power was simply a question of human ingenuity. But now energy power may be the ultimate limitation. In fact, arch rivals Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, are battling it out on an energy playing field. Consider AMD’s Times Square billboard that ticks off the dollars AMD […]

Health Care Leader Burnout

When you try to align external and internal health care forces with this much change in the air, burnout becomes the enemy. On the surface, that appears to be what is behind the unannounced but imminent resignation of Mark McClellan, M.D. By all accounts, the fact that Medicare Part D has held together as much […]