Digital Health: Avoiding a Second TechLash!

By JEFF GOLDSMITH
As John Glaser argued a recent piece in Harvard Business Review, many health care executives seem have been blinded by the shiny object that is digital health. Forgive us for a powerful feeling of déjà vu. Since the last major digital innovation in health, the electronic health record, fell far short of expectations and probably generated a negative return on investment for many care systems, it is worth thinking about to avoid the same fate with this new wave of digital tools.
As COVID raised concerns about the safety of in-person visits to clinics and physicians’ offices, digital health visits soared during the spring. Traditional health care organizations large and small -hospitals, health plans, physician groups- have since struggled to integrate digital technology effectively into their care offerings and management structure.
In other industries, digital technology acts as a force-multiplier for the core business -it helps … Read the rest