How disruptive innovation by business and technology firms could improve population health

JAMA

16 August 2018 - In 1990 the Centers for Disease Control and the US Preventive Services Task Force launched Healthy People 2000. 

The goals were to increase healthy life span, reduce disparities, and provide access to preventive services for all individuals in the United States. According to data for 2015 and 2016 from the National Center for Health Care Statistics, life expectancy in the United States has decreased for the last 2 years in a row, disparities persist, and only 8% of US residents receive recommended preventive care. Meanwhile, health care costs, which are currently the highest in the world, will likely reach 20% of the US gross domestic product in the coming years.

Business and technology firms pride themselves on being able to solve complex problems and have increasingly entered the health care market. Large companies like Walmart first entered the health industry because these companies noted that accessible and low-cost services were lacking in the existing system of care. 

Aetna-CVS maintain that together they can further develop the retail clinical market CVS started and complement it with the purchasing power of the payer Aetna. Amazon has publicly announced its interest in developing similar advances specifically for its employees.

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Michael Wonder

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Michael Wonder