Resolutions for the New Year, Patient Engagement and MUS2

With the dawn of every New Year, I am hopeful that I will keep my resolution to exercise, eat better and be more patient. This year, in addition to my “usual” resolutions noted above, I am also hoping that I can become an “engaged” patient. In fact, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Misfit Shine, which will help me track my fitness goals AND let me look cool doing it. This little device could possibly revolutionize fitness tracking and it is being funded through crowd sourcing to boot. I know all of this seems strange coming from a physician, but I see so many potential benefits to becoming connected to my own health. My biggest obstacle to achieving this, however, isn’t me. It’s my physician.

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Currently, my physician’s office is not connected. I would suspect that this will change with the imminent arrival of Meaningful Use Stage 2. As I look forward in this New Year, one of my current goals is unobtainable. Hard to start the year that way! So here is how I would envision MY personal healthcare, if I had control:

• I would like to have all of my healthcare records in one place, not scattered around in two different Health Systems and multiple disconnected physician’s offices (Enter HIE, portal, “Blue Button”, PHI).
• It would be great to have access to personalized information based on my medical history with reminders, goals, and recommendations in a quick, usable space and on any portable device I choose (Enter Portal, mobile apps, wellness management, and possibly even predictive analytics).
• I would like to have the ability to connect my Misfit Shine with my wellness apps from my physician and upload and track my progress on my aforementioned goals of fitness, nutrition and mental clarity (This one is the biggest stretch, I think. Enter mobile apps, portal, mobile device, wellness management).

All of the above are pieces of the puzzle needed to successfully navigate MU2. Is this too much to ask? It will require a paradigm shift for many physicians and for those patients that are afraid of disruptive technology. However, since most people now own a smart phone or a tablet, this should be more attainable than ever. Even the 55 and older group is utilizing these devices for health information, according to research conducted by Manhattan Research. Do you think we can achieve this?