Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008 - (Page 6)

EDITORIAL Point With Pride, View With Alarm, End With Hope David B. Nash, MD, MBA I recently had the pleasure of attending my 30th college reunion, where I had been asked to participate in a program called “Caring for Aging Boomers.” Appropriate, considering that our class represents the middle of the baby boom generation — a cohort that will place stress on the healthcare delivery system in the United States like no other group did or will. The seminar and panel presentation included well-known national authors, social commentators, and others. On this day at Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., my focus was on changes in healthcare. I decided to structure my presentation with a format I learned in business school: Point with pride, view with alarm, end with hope. To point with pride, I described to my classmates — most of whom are not in healthcare — the amazing technological advances in healthcare that have occurred since we graduated. We are the technological envy of the world, having mapped the human genome. We are on the cusp of practicing predictive medicine. Shortly, I explained, we will be able to take a buccal smear from everyone in the room and have a very good idea about their genetic predisposition to certain diseases and how they will respond to treatment. I explained how we are using these tools now, and how major medical centers like the Mayo Clinic are creating population-based databases using this kind of technology. It is of little surprise, then, that young men and women want to go into medicine in greater numbers than ever. I described with pride how Jefferson Medical College continues to attract thousands of applicants for a limited number of spots. from smoking. If only 3 percent of the population engages in these kinds of positive behaviors, think about the impact on rates of chronic illness as our age cohort moves into Medicare! Finally, I viewed with alarm how a small percentage of the population continues to drive the bulk of healthcare spending. We will need many more geriatricians and many more intensivists as the most important demographic shift in modern American sociologic history reaches its conclusion. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? I viewed with alarm some facts that awaken me early many mornings. Nearly 16 percent of the United States GDP is spent on healthcare — that’s nearly $7,000 per person, including children — on an annual basis. But what do we get for the money? The United States is not among the top 10 nations in any population-based measure of wellness. For all the money Medicare spends — $1 billion a day — evidence suggests that we get the very best care only about half the time. I also noted that from a population perspective, only 3 in 100 American adults get regular exercise, are near ideal body weight, eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily, and refrain HOPE FOR THE FUTURE I committed to ending my presentation with hope for the future. I pointed out that the democratization of information via the Internet allows my classmates to participate actively in their own care. I held out hope that there would be greater accountability for outcomes of care, noting such examples such as the Pennsylvania Hospital Acquired Infection Report and the growth in the patient empowerment movement. I described how companies like Revolution Health and others want to put the consumer at the center of the healthcare system and fundamentally alter the current paternalistic structure. I expressed confidence that if we all could participate more actively in our own care and if we could exercise, lose weight, eat fruits and vegetables, and stop smoking, we may have a fighting chance when we become Medicare eligible! Finally, I explained that a physician graduating today will be practicing medicine in the year 2040. The thought seemed to grab the audience immediately as we collectively pondered it. What will be the tools, knowledge, aspects of lifetime learning, and the technologic powers at the fingertips of a practitioner in 2040? Reunions are an opportunity to look back and look ahead. What are you going to talk about at your reunion? What will the power of biotechnology place in the fingertips of the practitioner in 2040? I am interested in your views. You can reach me by e-mail at «david.nash@ jefferson.edu». You can also visit my new blog at «http:// departmentofhealthpolicy.blogspot.com». 6 BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTHCARE · JULY/AUGUST 2008 http://departmentofhealthpolicy.blogspot.com http://departmentofhealthpolicy.blogspot.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008

Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008 Openers Contents Editorial/David B. Nash, MD, MBA Drug Track Health Plan Confidential Rheumatoid Arthritis A Decade of Trial, Error, False Starts, and Hope What Path Will Comparative Effectiveness Research Take? RA Therapies in Development: A New Generation of Relief Assessing the Full Impact of RA on Employers and Payers Stem Cells: Health Insurance You Can Bank On Specialty Pharmacy Employer to Employer Personalized Medicine Trends Clinical Briefs

Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008

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