The New Health IT Arms Race Between The US And EU

If you were to ask anyone in the United States what “health access” meant to them, you would get a different answer. In the UK, for most people, it means the ability to access National Health Service (NHS) amenities. To Londoner’s for example, it might mean getting an appointment without complication, inconvenience, or a fee. In the US however, health access is often associated not with the care itself, but with insurance eligibility or ability to schedule an appointment.

Further, it can mean ones ability to pay for care out of their own pocket, with quality relating to ability to pay. While great differences exist, on both sides of the pond four major trends in digital health have taken center stage in recent years: wearable technologies, self monitoring systems and interest, technology to support greater health access and electronic health record (EHR) systems.

In the US and EU digital trends, mobility, telehealth & telecare are changing demand for services forever.  We also have more citizens over the age of 65, more long-term comorbidities and growing problems such as heart failure and diabetes than ever before, driving the need and cost for care to new levels...