Apple of Health Care

Those who know me, know I am a fan of Apple—the company and their line of products. Like most people, I find their devices highly intuitive, user friendly, fun and engaging. I love that they offer a complete portfolio of technology that meets all my needs. But most importantly, I admire how their products are completely integrated—my phone syncs with my watch/personal fitness monitor which talks to my iPad which then backs up to my personal computer—allowing all of my information to be accessed from one device. When you purchase an Apple product you step into a complete and closed system of technology and entertainment and rarely need or want to leave. In the business world, this is known as vertical integration. Whatever you call it—it’s a savvy strategy for developing loyal, lifelong customers.

At Jupiter Medical Center, we are striving to be the Apple of health care right here in Palm Beach County. By that I mean, our goal is to provide our patients with services at every point along their health care journey and do our best to make sure the care is seamlessly integrated along the way—decreasing time and costs while improving outcomes and value. We want our patients to be able to step into the Jupiter Medical Center system and get all the things they could possibly need from a flu shot, to maternity and pediatric care, to imaging and diagnostics or world-class oncology treatment, should they need it. Beyond building a robust set of services for patients, each time they come in contact with Jupiter Medical Center at any entry point, their health information is captured, electronic medical records sync, and this essential data can be accessed by members of the care team everywhere up and down the line.

In technology, Apple has championed vertical integration. Applying this model to health care will not only help remedy the sometimes fragmented and dysfunctional way care is currently delivered, it will ensure a more satisfying "user experience."

Health Care Technology 2.0

The proliferation of technology in health care is everywhere. It is beginning to change the way patients are cared for, how physicians engage the health care consumer, how research is conducted, and finally, how patients are being turned into health care activists and taking control of their personal health. This transformation is necessary in order for the industry to control cost and improve quality. We need to create a highly reliable system of care, and we can only do this by leveraging technology. 

From the explosion of the iPhone and Apple’s Health app to the widespread popularity of Fitbit, access to a significant amount of one’s own personal health data, is at our fingertips. There will come a time—much sooner than later—when patients will walk into their doctors’ offices with their personal mobile devices armed with more information about their body chemistry and function than their doctor has on hand. The real question and what we must then try to navigate, is how will this information be used by the health care provider. If the information the consumer is accumulating is not being used to manage their health in a proactive way, then why collect the information? Will this collection of data and access to significant health information drive patients to advocate and even demand, more testing or interventionist exploration than is necessary?  

Finally, a lot has been written lately about the security of mobile app data; however, I am confident the industry will continue adapting and innovating to address these issues. IT companies have developed all sorts of systems and applications to protect and ensure the security of patient health information. The reality is that when we operated with paper records, we probably had a less secure environment related to access and protection of patient information.