I am at the annual HIMSS meeting in Orlando Florida this week. HIMSS is the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. A few quick thoughts:
The sheer volume of healthcare technology companies here is overwhelming
It is very difficult for any company to get real mindshare in these fields.
Although the creativity and innovation shows the dynamism of American healthcare, this conference also reveals the achilles heel of established companies: most of these companies are still working “inside” healthcare: population management, revenue cycle management, interoperability, business continuity and disaster recovery - all of which is critical. But there remains surprising few consumer brands or tools that allow established health systems to unleash the power and freedom of the consumer.
Those companies that do offer tools for the consumer sound rather dated - still talking about “patient portals.”
Bottom line: healthcare entrepreneurs have plenty of space to play, create, innovate