RH Smith CIO Forum

At the 10th annual Robert H. Smith School of Business CIO forum held on November 6, 2009, we discussed health information technology and other technologies in the world of Web 2.0. The forum was sponsored by the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS) and the Center for Digital Thought and Strategy (DIGITS).

The forum addressed how technology is impacting government policy, the future of business, and public institutions. Online communities and social networking are creating opportunities in a variety of sectors of the economy, and with these opportunities come responsibilities. Technology is opening many doors, and, as long as it is managed properly, it can create a lot of value.

One of the important components when it comes to managing technology is transparency. The keynote speakers addressed the importance of a level of transparency that allows citizens access to information while upholding a high level of security.

The panel discussion included various technology applications to industries that included health 2.0, microfinance, energy, and IT application development. One of the takeaways from this discussion was the importance of addiction. When it comes to social networking, people are addicted to it. They are excited by it, and staying in the loop has not only become a habit, but an expectation! How can businesses and organizations create addictions to various applications of technology?

The CIO forum included presenters from backgrounds in health IT, public policy, consulting, and the iron and steel industry. The breadth of activity in the field of technology is extensive, but what is most fascinating is the commonality between these fields. They are all distinctive, yet they all address issues that are critical to one another. In the case of health care, transparency and public policy are the hot topics. How much information do we want to share? It will promote accessibility and overall quality, but how does it impact privacy? When it comes to addiction, the social networking models out there are only the beginning. What if everyone updated health 2.0 applications as regularly as they update their status on facebook?

Events like the CIO forum are a medium where these questions can be discussed, and more importantly, create opportunities for different functions to share best practices and lessons learned that will allow all of us to improve upon what we already know.

Seema Setia, MBA Candidate 2011

Health 2.0

The field of health care has, in general, followed a ‘top down’ structure. Patients used to go to the doctor with their ailments, and the doctor would recommend a modification in lifestyle and a prescription for the necessary medication. That was the way- until the information age. It has become commonplace now for patients to do their own health research. Before going to the doctor, people will look online for information about their health- from natural remedies for the common cold, to complications of gastric bypass surgery. A new approach to healthcare has been created, where patients have begun to look at healthcare as a partnership between patients, researchers, and doctors. This is Health 2.0.

The Health 2.0 Conference held in San Francisco, California last week gave a gauge of how Health 2.0 is evolving. New applications were presented, like Hello Health and ReachMyDoctor that use instant messaging and group chats as a medium for communication. There were over one hundred different demos and technologies shown at the conference. The broad scope of technology is amazing, but what is even more intriguing is the way that this technology can revolutionize the way that health care is practiced.

The list of applications and the opportunities that the technology creates is very long, however, before getting caught up with all of that- we must ask, what next? With all these great ideas, where do we go?At the Health 2.0 conference, while there was optimism about the various applications, there was a word of caution brought up as well. In order for these applications to be successful, they cannot only be valued individually. How they form a system and work together has to be considered as well. It is important to note the change in focus from ideas to the connection between the ideas, because when that shift occurs, it means that we are getting ready for the next level, implementation. It will be exciting to watch this process unfold, and see how it impacts field of health care.

Seema Setia, MBA Candidate 2011

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