In a recent opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal, former hedge fund manager Andy Kessler discussed challenges to using technology to provide better healthcare.
The key technology, Mr. Kessler claims, is artificial learning and machine learning. But without enough data, AI and machine learning technology can't improve.
Despite wearables and the widespread use of EHRs, Mr. Kessler believes interoperability has not been attained. "Instead of advancing electronic health record 'interoperability,' ... the HITECH Act ended up as a funding mechanism for electronic health record firms like Epic Systems, Cerner and Allscripts," he writes.
To fix this problem, Mr. Kessler advocates for "insurers paying for this data." He claims insurers will soon realize it's worth it to detect a disease in its early stages rather than later in the game.
In closing, Mr. Kessler advocates for not giving up on interoperability. "The dream of smart machines crunching health info is real," he writes. "Don't let the dream walk with paper."