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What will be the Uber for healthcare?

Uber has changed how we catch a cab, Airbnb how we organize travel, PayPal and Bitcoin how we bank. Amazon has changed how we buy books, and Netflix how we consume entertainment. What’s the common denominator among these disruptions? Technology provided an alternative that improved on the incumbent system. They all enabled a new business model in their industry—whether by increasing accessibility, saving time, costing less, or all of the above.

So what will be the Uber for healthcare? Because certainly the healthcare system is ripe for disruption. Health organizations and technology vendors alike are looking for new ways to achieve the triple aim of improving quality and increasing access while lowering costs. At the same time, people expect more convenience and involvement in their healthcare. As I wrote in one of my previous blogs, in order to meet patient expectations and rein in costs, the burgeoning consumer wellness space and the traditional healthcare system need to come together. Perhaps the Uber for health will be something that bridges the divide between the two and helps us shift from a “sickness” system to a “health” system?

Today we have technologies that can enable disruption much faster than in the past, so a game-changer for healthcare could be just around the corner. With cloud and mobile platforms, it’s quicker, easier, and more cost-effective than ever to develop solutions that people can use anytime, anywhere. Rather than major system overhauls that take many years and billion-dollar budgets to complete, modern health IT solutions can be developed in days with minimal capital. They can solve a specific healthcare workflow challenge or patient need right away. And they can then be easily adapted and extended as needed.

A great example of a fresh approach to solving healthcare challenges is Hacking Health, a Canadian movement that Microsoft has been supporting for years. I was thrilled that we were able to bring Hacking Health to my home country of Australia when it came to the HIC 2015 conference in August.

At the hackathon, clinicians worked directly with software developers to come up with solutions for their toughest healthcare challenges. Using agile technologies, teams produced health IT prototypes based on the real-world needs of clinicians and patients in just a few short days.

Technology has already disrupted many industries, so why not healthcare, which is poised for transformation? It’s only a matter of time before an Uber for healthcare drives a business model change.

What do you think the game-changer for health will look like? Let us know via email, Facebook or Twitter. And please also contact us if you have any questions or comments.