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Healthcare IT Thesis – 8VC

2 points by arikr 8y ago

samstave 8y ago
I spent a good number of years working on the Health IT side of things - as Technology Implementation Manager having built El Camino Hospital, as a Technology Designer for SF General, and in other capacities in building, designing, operational go-live etc for other hospitals.... One thing that I never hear discussed in these areas are the costs of technology sold to hospitals and the cost of consumables over time. What was the price of aspirin in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010... Or gauze, or many many other things? What was the amount billed for that common thing that has been around for decades? What is the meaning of a "hospital grade television"? and why is that device as more expensive than its consumer counterpart? Look at all the technology systems and devices sold to hospitals... Yes I am familiar with the economics of them, and in many cases its BS. (not all), but many. Then look at the number of skilled employees that a hospital must employ for it to work - and look at their wages. So, this article talks about the outcomes, and quality and volume of care, but doesnt seem to take into account the inputs of cost that are required for an organization to run. Then, on top of that - these are companies, seeking to make profits - and the rates for coded services are a huge negotiation issue between insurance and the hospitals. Yet, I don't see any regulation for prices on standard services which is true and meaningful. If there is one thing that the United States is masterful at doing: its lying to the population about the effectiveness of regulating the cost of a service in any industry, when simply looking at the regulation of service costs in any other comparable developed nation proves that NO regulation of costs is actually meaningfully achieved. so, yes - tech will be on the upswing - but it has always been on the upswing, that never been a concern. What is NOT on the upswing is actual progress in health costs.

2 points by arikr 8y ago

I spent a good number of years working on the Health IT side of things - as Technology Implementation Manager having built El Camino Hospital, as a Technology Designer for SF General, and in other capacities in building, designing, operational go-live etc for other hospitals.... One thing that I never hear discussed in these areas are the costs of technology sold to hospitals and the cost of consumables over time. What was the price of aspirin in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010... Or gauze, or many many other things? What was the amount billed for that common thing that has been around for decades? What is the meaning of a "hospital grade television"? and why is that device as more expensive than its consumer counterpart? Look at all the technology systems and devices sold to hospitals... Yes I am familiar with the economics of them, and in many cases its BS. (not all), but many. Then look at the number of skilled employees that a hospital must employ for it to work - and look at their wages. So, this article talks about the outcomes, and quality and volume of care, but doesnt seem to take into account the inputs of cost that are required for an organization to run. Then, on top of that - these are companies, seeking to make profits - and the rates for coded services are a huge negotiation issue between insurance and the hospitals. Yet, I don't see any regulation for prices on standard services which is true and meaningful. If there is one thing that the United States is masterful at doing: its lying to the population about the effectiveness of regulating the cost of a service in any industry, when simply looking at the regulation of service costs in any other comparable developed nation proves that NO regulation of costs is actually meaningfully achieved. so, yes - tech will be on the upswing - but it has always been on the upswing, that never been a concern. What is NOT on the upswing is actual progress in health costs.