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Christina Nesheva

GlaxoSmithKline plc

TEDCRED 50+
AssociateTED Translator

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What is the future of healthcare? How can it become health care vs sickness treatment? What role do technology and innovation play?

Healthcare costs are rising, the population is aging and medical needs are greater than ever. How can patients receive better quality care at an affordable price? How can we leverage technology to provide better and more affordable healthcare around the world?

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Topics: Healthcare e-health innovation medicine
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    Anne Dagen 10+

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    Oct 21 2011: Healthcare costs are not rising as much as many people think. A substantial proportion of the increase in cost relates to bureaucracy, not actual healthcare. One of the main uses of technology in healthcare is to reinforce bureaucratic overheads.

    An increase in professionalism and a reduction in bureaucracy would both reduce costs and improve health. The reason it would improve health is that it would provide people with timely and appropriate treatment, reducing the inevitable health decline which comes when an illness goes a long time without treatment.

    A side effect of this would be that a highly professional healthcare sector, without the deadweight of excessive bureaucracy, would have the time and the knowledge to keep up to date with developments and discuss the options openly with patients.
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      Drew Bixby

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      Oct 25 2011: Yes! Excellent point all around. It is bureaucracy in healthcare, like bureaucracy in government or business, which can have some of the biggest (negative) impacts in cost. Bureaucracy also diffuses individual responsibility so individuals have a less clear view of how their actions affect others.

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