The next HCLDR chat on Tuesday December 17th, 2019 will be the last one for the year…and the decade. We will be taking a two-week break because the next two Tuesdays fall on holidays. HCLDR will return on Tuesday January 7th, 2020.
Given that it’s the end of a decade, Joe and I thought it would be fun to reflect back on last 10 years in healthcare. A lot has happened since the calendar rolled over to 2010:
- Billions of dollars was infused into the healthcare system for EHR adoption
- Ownership and access to patient data became a hot button issue
- Healthcare fell into the crosshairs of cyber-criminals
- Social media was first shunned then embraced by healthcare
- Patients began asserting their voice
- Mental health is now a front-burner issue vs something hidden from public view
- Theranos rose and then fell
- Hospitals started running programs that are designed to keep patients AWAY from their facilities and healthy at home
For me, the biggest event in healthcare over the last decade is hands-down the $Billions in incentives given to hospitals and physician practices to digitize health records. It’s hard to believe but back in 2010, only 50% of healthcare organizations had any form of Electronic Health Record (EHR) – according to the Office of the National Coordinator.
As the incentives were rolled out, the adoption rate of EHRs grew exponentially – as did the Health IT industry itself. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not likely have enjoyed working at so many different healthcare software companies had it not been for the Meaningful Use program. Granted, the program was far from perfect (interoperability anyone?), but it did jumpstart the Health IT wave that we are still riding today.
When I look back at HCLDR and healthcare social media in general, what stands out for me are the amazing people who use the medium to share knowledge, form work-relationships, advocate for change and exchange ideas. For me personally, nothing has had a greater impact than social media. I would not have been able to connect with so many wonderful people had it not been for Twitter.
What stands out for you from 2019 and the past decade? What event, technology, or person had a big impact on your life over the past 10 years? Bring your reflections and thoughts to the final HCLDR tweetchat of the decade.
Join us Tuesday December 17th at 8:30pm ET (for your local time click here) as we discuss the following topics:
- T1 What technology, person or policy has had the biggest impact (positive or negative) on healthcare over the past decade?
- T2 When historians look back at this decade in healthcare, what would you hope they say?
- T3 What event, tech or person had the biggest impact on you personally over the past decade?
- T4 Who would you like to say thank you to and express gratitude for now that we are closing out the decade?
PS: I have to acknowledge my HCLDR collaborator @JoeBabaian. We met on Twitter and through it forged a friendship that has spanned many miles and many years. HCLDR would not be where it is today with Joe. I also have to acknowledge Lisa and Bernadette who also contributed so much of their time and energy to HCLDR.
Image Credit
Photo by Adam Tinworth on Unsplash
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