Patients matter most

Understanding the inevitable changes that technology has brought -- and will continue to bring -- to the healthcare industry will help all of us take more control over our well-being, prevent chronic diseases, and pursue care at the right time, at the right place, in the right way, from the right people. Diagnoses and treatments that once required highly specialized knowledge and equipment are becoming more widely available. Procedures and devices that existed only in large medical centers have shifted into community clinics, stores, and people's living rooms. Today's healthcare consumers have more autonomy than yesterday's passive patients did.

Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg brings a lifetime of experience as a surgeon, medical school professor, and health system CEO to this exploration of every aspect of the changing landscape. Writing in plain language for consumers as well as medical providers, he connects the dots between parallel developments in technology and in healthcare delivery. The result is a wake-up call for healthcare providers to rethink what they do and how and where they do it. Healthcare is only beginning to catch up with other industries in using technologies such as virtual meetings and artificial intelligence, but already these tools are transforming people's roles. Policymakers and those who train and employ healthcare providers must adapt. But everyone can benefit by better understanding what is happening, when to embrace new ways, and when to be skeptical or cautious.

Big retail and tech corporations see trillion-dollar possibilities in providing healthcare. These new players come with promises of convenience, efficiency, and cost savings, but without some of our healthcare system's traditional restraints. The regulations and limits imposed on healthcare by governments and private intermediaries, such as insurance companies, are reaching the end of their sustainability. The COVID - 19 pandemic ex posed inequities and vulnerabilities in our access to healthcare but also sparked innovation. Patients Matter Most describes how some innovations are overcoming resistance to change and improving lives, and how others are introducing risks to our privacy. Real-life stories from a physician and healthcare leader who has been on the front lines of managing change make this book a compelling read.