A Conversation with GE
GE partnered with TED to launch TED Conversations. Here, their scientists and leaders engage with the TED community on key global issues.
Michael J. Barber
VP,
Healthymagination
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A conversation with GE: Why do we avoid making tough health choices? And, what could motivate us to behave differently?
Healthymagination is about better health for more people. We think that part of that mission is making information available to consumers so they can make the best health choices possible. Access to information also helps further the dialogue between patients and doctors.
The TED community embodies a sense of discovery, tackling difficult issues head on. In the spirit of both TED and healthymagination, we’d invite you to share your thoughts on why people avoid making tough health choices. And, what could motivate us to behave differently.
When it comes to seeing a doctor, even the most responsible people may push things off. Drawing on fields as diverse as psychology, technology, public health and behavioral economics, how can we explain why we remember to do our taxes but put off getting screened for serious conditions -- especially when we know that early detection offers the best outcomes? And, how can we design systems and tools that reverse this behavior?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts, perspectives, questions and experiences.
Closing Statement from Michael J. Barber, VP, GE Healthymagination
Well, TED community, now that our conversation has come to a close, I’d like to thank you all for sharing your thought-provoking questions and insightful ideas on patient behavior. I also want to thank Dr. Nancy Snyderman for participating and for bringing her valuable medical perspective to our discussion.
Over the course of the conversation, some key takeaways for me included:
+ It takes time to drive real change in community healthcare systems but it is worth the effort to increase access, decrease costs and improve the quality of healthcare.
+ Being smart and honest with our healthcare providers goes a long way no matter which country we live in.
+ We can save 100,000 lives a year by preventing hospital errors.
+ Learning about health early in life and developing good habits can have a big impact on our healthcare system in the future.
+ As patients become better armed with information through technology, we will see the patient/doctor relationship evolve into something more meaningful and efficient.
+ If good health is a priority in the workspace, these habits will translate into the home.
This has been a great first experience with TED Conversations for me and I hope to meet you all in the digital healthcare space again soon.
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Nicola Prigg
We do our taxes because we know the taxman will come looking if we don't and the repurcussions are worse than just doing your taxes.
Whereas with your health, if you're getting screened for something, you think i'll probably not have it. With the Doctors you weigh up the probability of having some condition over the likelihood that you don't. Even if the likelihood is high that you will develop something due to being overweight, we still to continue to put off losing weight to reduce the risk mainly i think because you like eating and your exercise rate at the moment. There is a small chance that no health problems will be created and if they do, you'll deal with them then. There's the it won't be me chance as well as losing weight is too much like hard work.
I've had personal experience of knowing there was something but not going to the Doctors well its slightly more complicated. I injured my knee a year ago in the semi's of my club championships(doubles), played on and we won. i couldn't walk the morning after so went to A&E, diagnosed it as ligament and would heal fairly quickly so I decided to play in the final 3 days later, knowing if it was ligament, it wouldn't make it worse. A year later still having problems with it, private clinic said maybe cartilage, NHS keep saying ligament. At easter when it was particularly troubling, i resisted going to the GP again because I knew what was going to be said - "its ligament, go away".
What would have helped me - better diagnostics through better technology but at the end of the day - I'm not sure anything would have stopped me from playing that final. I wanted to play. Rational thoughts about health didn't come into it.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman