This week, a healthsprocket list was posted displaying some mega trends with the potential to be able to transform healthcare in the United States. The list comes from a Forbes article by Robert Pearl, M.D., CEO of Permanente Medical Group, certified plastic/reconstructive surgeon, and Stanford University professor. He talks about how these trends offer reason for hope and concern in regards to how healthcare can move from operating in silos to working together seamlessly. 
 
Firstly, ACO's are groups of health care providers who band together and look after a patient's total health. ACOs promise to get rid of silos, and improve patient outcomes while lowering overall healthcare costs. Secondly, Traditional fee-for-service payment models are flawed, physicians and hospitals get paid based on the volume and complexity of their services, not on the clinical outcomes. Thirdly, participating organizations must report quality and patient satisfaction data to CMS yearly. Also, patients enrolled in Medicare Advantage agree to receive care from physicians and hospitals. In return, subscribers enjoy lower out-of-pocket expenses. Fourthly, technology drives a lot of the American industry. There is a plethora of patient information in computers and file-folders. Progress in linking different technology systems has been very slow and extremely difficult. They need to work together but lack connectivity. Finally, the world of healthcare can tip in the right direction with the new generation of physicians that are in constant connection with their mobile devices. Furthermore, they have been trained to work in teams while in school unlike their elder colleagues. Patients would have to choose this next generation for a transformation to occur in U.S. healthcare.
 
If your interested in getting information about mobile technology, check out the mhealthshare website.