How will health IT make a difference a year from now? Please see the HIMSS blog carnival link for many visions. As we look to the recent past and into the future, the possibilities of health IT are staggering. While visionaries and innovators plot their course, let’s think for a minute about the boots on the ground – what does it take for possibilities to be integrated into the lives of consumers and the work flow of professionals? After all technology serves people – their interactions, relationships, needs, and wants – to attain best health. Early adopters, such as myself, flock to new technology, as do agencies seeking to increase volume and productivity, and businesses tapping into the next big thing. Most people and most health organizations, however, are notoriously slow to change habits that integrate the possibilities, creating a dynamic tension between what is and what could be. Adding to this tension is the generational difference between the young accustomed to and delighting in technology and the older ones hesitantly sticking their toe in.
I predict that 2013 will find an exacerbation of this tension with a demand for spiritual advisors, interpreters, change agents, and choreographers. Spiritual advisors help individuals identify and communicate their best health goals and help organizations stay focused on their mission – the technology vision has to accomplish something. Interpreters translate and meld the diverse languages of stakeholders: varied educations, lifestyles, personal and world view, wonk and Luddite, best health and mHealth focused. Change agents guide health teams and organizations through rapid improvement. Choreographers design, align, and adjust the dance of cultural transformation for the stars (consumers) and supporting cast (health team). Do we value these skills as we plot the future?
