10 Healthcare IT Predictions

8. Medical homes and medical neighborhoods lead to medical cities. Technology these days is geo-this and geo-that. Population health efforts have liberated tons of health data, which is being analyzed at every geographic level. Look for lots more analysis of what makes entire cities healthy or sick. Walkability scores will take their place alongside other factors and could begin to factor into health insurance premiums. The data is all out there, waiting to be tapped.

9. Social network–powered, peer-to-peer training replaces older company-based, HR-style training. Executives do this already. If you are a CMIO, you go to AMDIS conferences and learn from your peers. If you are a CIO, you go to CHIME and HIMSS events. The AMA takes care of doctors, and various specialties have their own events. Distance learning is becoming dominant in universities.

There's no reason the rest of the healthcare line staff has to sit in rooms training, or retraining, on their EMRs when they could be part of a virtual classroom, mentored by a peer from somewhere else on the planet, who knows exactly what they're going through and can answer their questions. Instructors will become more like resource personnel or librarians. Didactic lecture as a method of HR-powered training becomes rare, and ceases to be a nonproductive cost center.

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