| | December 20178UTLOOK Healthcare Tech IN MY OPINIONHealthcare Technology: The Promise of the Future and Roadblock of the PresentBy Jordan Dolin, Founder, Furthur FundTo a hospital CIO, healthcare technology is both a blessing a curse. HCIT brings the promise of dramatically improved clinical outcomes, personalized treatment plans, increased efficiencies, and decreased expenses. However, more often than not, it also comes with the distraction and high cost of implementation, not to mention the frustration of trying to change workflow. Saying that there are problems associated with healthcare technology certainly won't come as a surprise to anyone. That said, it is also worth noting that the problems are rarely, if ever, directly caused by the technology itself. It's almost always about how that technology fits within the ecosystem of the way healthcare is practiced. Simply put, it is extremely difficult AND complicated to effectively combine the art of medicine with the science of technology. Computers are machines ­ objective, analytical, and scientific. Whereas, the process of providing actual care for patients, is much more art than science- but should include both. While standards of care exist to ensure that all patients receive care that reflects best practices, every individual is unique, requiring the doctor to blend art and science in order to deliver the very best care for all of their patients. I'll provide a bit of background to help explain where my perspective comes from. I am an entrepreneur who has spent the last 16 years in health tech. Back in 2002 I founded the first patient engagement company, Emmi Solutions, which was purchased last year by Wolters Kluwer. I now choose to spend my time working with early-stage healthcare companies because, to me, they represent the best hope for solving the multitude of challenges that plague the industry. I love doing this because as I said upfront, technology has such amazing potential to transform and improve the quality, efficiency, and economics of care. The flipside is that it also creates a host of challenges that need to be acknowledged and addressed in order for it to reach its full potential. Whether it's problems with security, workflow, integration, or something else, the sooner we can sort this stuff out, the better off we'll all be. And I mean "we" in the broadest context because I don't just work in the industry ­ like all of you, I am also a patient. Obviously, combining art and science may not be the easiest thing to do, but in this instance its clearly worth the effort. I'm not a clinician, so please take this analogy with a grain of salt, but when I think of things like artificial hips or pacemakers I can only imagine all of the work that went into figuring out how these scientific devices could be implanted and actually function within a living organism. It is interesting to note that one of these was developed by an engineer, the pacemaker, whereas the hip replacement was developed by a surgeon. The reason I point this out is because when it comes to innovation in healthcare, regardless if its driven by clinicians or engineers, it is unlikely to succeed without the support and participation of both. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done.For hospitals and health systems, innovation of any kind, often proves to be quite challenging. In a normal, healthy innovation ecosystem the key constituents (entrepreneurs/inventors, potential customers, investors) have a mutually dependent and symbiotic Jordan Dolin
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