Jane Sarasohn-Kahn

This research report analyzes findings from a survey from OptimizeRx with which I collaborated to gauge physicians' concerns for and strategies to address rising drug costs facing patients.

Sleeplessness is a modern way of life in and beyond the U.S. So there's a large and growing market for sleep solutions, especially sleep-tech that can replace the use of prescription and OTC medicines. I sifted through miles of aisles of sleep-tech at CES 2018 this week in Las Vegas and curated some new-new things in this HuffPo column. To your sleep, to your health!

Americans' life expectancy fell to 78.6 years in 2016, according to a new World Economic Forum report on Global Competitiveness for 2017-2018. Mass media are pointing to the opioid epidemic for declining life-years in the U.S. I parse through the WEF report's 380+ pages to land on the Index's concept of basic requirements: infrastructure, macroeconomics, health and education, among them. These are the pillars of a healthy society; the opioid epidemic is a symptom of underlying forces, the root… Show more

Americans' life expectancy fell to 78.6 years in 2016, according to a new World Economic Forum report on Global Competitiveness for 2017-2018. Mass media are pointing to the opioid epidemic for declining life-years in the U.S. I parse through the WEF report's 380+ pages to land on the Index's concept of basic requirements: infrastructure, macroeconomics, health and education, among them. These are the pillars of a healthy society; the opioid epidemic is a symptom of underlying forces, the root being income inequality and the social determinants. Read my take on the WEF findings in Huffington Post. Show less

Cost, cyber-concerns, and stress will shape health care consumers in 2018, facing a chaotic health/care market based on public policy, industry consolidation, and social unrest. This forecast for healthcare consumers in 2018 identifies the key driving forces and implications for peoples' health, healthcare, and wellbeing in the New Year.

Your home is evolving into your medical home, beyond the bricks-and-mortar healthcare system. Read my take on current technologies that I saw at #HIMSS17 and #CES2017 will mesh to support healthy living where we live, work, play, pray and learn -- that is, every day.

People make health outside of the healthcare system, where we live, work, play, pray and learn. Here, Jane was interviewed by the Kansas Hospital Association following her speech at KHA's Critical Issues Summit on the central role of patients in co-creating health with the health care system.

Digital health innovations were fast-proliferating at CES 2017. The bad news is there are so many of them, it’s dizzying and fragmented. The good news is that there are emerging health data ecosystems that will streamline consumers’ user experience so that people can derive knowledge, actionable advice and value out of using these tools.

The opioid crisis, killing dozens of people very day, has given rise to consumer demand for technology-based. non-drug solutions for pain management. At CES 2017, innovations were featured to deal with this demand, giving consumers more power to self-care for pain.

CES 2017 featured a growing volume and depth of digital health technologies. But look beyond the miles of heatlh aisles and you'll find personal technologies that help people bolster health beyond healthcare via the social determinants of health (SDOH): food and nutrition, safety, clean air and water, good and safe sex, and other factors that shape our health.

Digital health technologies are arming patients as they morph into health consumers and caregivers. CES 2017 showed dozens of promising innovations that help put health and healthcare into peoples' hands.

In 2017, market forces in American will shape health care at least as much as Donald Trump's presidency will do, from grassroots consumerism to employers driving wellness at the workplace and consumer demand for healthier and safer food, cheaper prescription drugs, and a civil society.

I contributed the chapter on The New DIY Health Consumer to this book, published in August 2016 as a follow-up to HIMSS' publication, Engage! Transforming Healthcare through Digital Patient Engagement, published by HIMSS in March, 2013. Engage! received the "Best Book" award at HIMSS14.

There are health care shortages and many health disparities in rural areas, urban under-served geographies, and among people living in the social safety net. These very people can most benefit from digital health tools that help scale health care services to their under-served communities. Yet a major limiting factor from this Holy Grail of telehealth and connected health is the lack of broadband to the last mile in rural and health-under-served areas. Read my take on this important issue, with… Show more

There are health care shortages and many health disparities in rural areas, urban under-served geographies, and among people living in the social safety net. These very people can most benefit from digital health tools that help scale health care services to their under-served communities. Yet a major limiting factor from this Holy Grail of telehealth and connected health is the lack of broadband to the last mile in rural and health-under-served areas. Read my take on this important issue, with hope for broadening broadband through a new law introduced by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's technology platform. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-sarasohnkahn/broadband-connectivity-is_b_11059720.html Show less

As patients take on greater financial responsibility for health care costs, they're morphing into health care consumers. And paying more out-of-pocket means people expect high levels of customer service, empathy, good design, and value-above-all. Enter the role of retail health, well beyond the traditional pharmacy: Big Box, grocery, discounters, and yes, pharmacies, too, will challenge the legacy healthcare providers -- hospitals, doctors, and suppliers. What's next? Dollar-Store-Healthcare?… Show more

As patients take on greater financial responsibility for health care costs, they're morphing into health care consumers. And paying more out-of-pocket means people expect high levels of customer service, empathy, good design, and value-above-all. Enter the role of retail health, well beyond the traditional pharmacy: Big Box, grocery, discounters, and yes, pharmacies, too, will challenge the legacy healthcare providers -- hospitals, doctors, and suppliers. What's next? Dollar-Store-Healthcare? Read on.... Show less

Among the connected cars, 3D printers and drones at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, digital health is a fast-growing category. And two "unmentionables" featured prominently among the new-new healthy things at CES - tools to help consumers self-manage sleep and pain.

#CES2016 - the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, commencing January 5, 2016 -- will feature digital health tools galore, from wristband activity trackers for health, to pain management products, smart beds, Internet of Things for healthy homes, and even digital tracking devices for managing both pets and kids. Here's my take on what to expect health and healthcare-wise at the 2016 CES.

While the health care market environment for 2016 has many uncertainties, there is one certainty that will drive adoption and deeper use of IT: the need to do more with less money. Whether value-based, bundled or slashed reimbursement, health care providers and consumers will be faced with rising costs and the need to do more with less.

Considering primary care as both analog (in-person) and digital (virtually), we can extend the supply of precious primary care providers, improve health care outcomes, and engage people in self-care to drive The Triple Aim in healthcare. Riffing off of Accenture's scenarios for applying digital health tools to primary care visits, I conclude by closing the loop with personal responsibility for self-care....getting the mix of art and science of primary care right.

Combining virtual health and traditional patient care models can help address the nation's clinician labor cost and capacity challenges. THINK-Health collaborate with Accenture, developing the economic models underpinning this breakthrough report on the promise of virtual healthcare visits to bolster the supply of primary care in America.

In the Old School media era for consumers and healthcare, we read Dr. Spock's books on childcare, kept a copy of the Merck Manual on our bookshelf in case of emergency, and listened to doctor's advice on the radio. Today, the M.O. for most people includes searching symptoms online in general searches on Google or in health portals like WebMD, joining patient communities such as PatientsLikeMe, and tweeting about prescription drug side effects. Michael Millenson's and my chapter dives into the… Show more

In the Old School media era for consumers and healthcare, we read Dr. Spock's books on childcare, kept a copy of the Merck Manual on our bookshelf in case of emergency, and listened to doctor's advice on the radio. Today, the M.O. for most people includes searching symptoms online in general searches on Google or in health portals like WebMD, joining patient communities such as PatientsLikeMe, and tweeting about prescription drug side effects. Michael Millenson's and my chapter dives into the new-new media in healthcare in this book on how information technology is empowering patients. Show less

A growing number of our "things" are getting connected to the Internet...refrigerators, toasters, cars, home security, and medical devices. Read my take on the IoT for "good" for health, part of a Cisco-sponsored project leading up to the big digital health meet-up at SXSW 2015.

As more apps focus on helping patients manage their condition(s), a challenge for app developers will be to develop holistic mHealth apps rather than focusing that focus on a single condition. While patients may find an app useful to manage a specific condition, it’s difficult integrate multiple apps, although new tools like Apple’s HealthKit hold the promise that data from multiple health apps can be integrated and consolidated.

People are morphing into health consumers, and looking for Amazon, Uber and Nordstrom in health. Here's how our so-called "medical homes," once defined as our primary care doctor's offices, are now our own homes for healthcare DIY and Making Health...

People generate digital exhaust everyday by checking into social networks, using credit cards for retail purchases, tracking health information with digital health devices and wearables, and using GPS on smartphones to map a journey. These activities generate bits of personal information that can be mashed up into profiles about 'you.' When it comes to health, this information is not often covered by HIPAA or other privacy laws that don't address consumer protection. Nevertheless, these… Show more

People generate digital exhaust everyday by checking into social networks, using credit cards for retail purchases, tracking health information with digital health devices and wearables, and using GPS on smartphones to map a journey. These activities generate bits of personal information that can be mashed up into profiles about 'you.' When it comes to health, this information is not often covered by HIPAA or other privacy laws that don't address consumer protection. Nevertheless, these activities, when analyzed in Big Data algorithms, can impact various "scores" about consumers, from finance (think: FICO) to health and employment prospects. This report discusses the opportunities of using personal health data "for good" (for medical research, personal health management, predicting epidemics) and for "dark data" where people are unaware of how their personal information is used. Show less

"There is no such thing as a free lunch," Milton Friedman, the iconic health economist, observed. But in a Weight Watchers cafe in London, England, diners are promised "free" meals in exchange for their posting about the experience in social media. The meal isn't free as people are exercising free will in trading off their personal information for the food. We might be very happy to trade data for food in a transparent market where we give something and get something back that we want. But in… Show more

"There is no such thing as a free lunch," Milton Friedman, the iconic health economist, observed. But in a Weight Watchers cafe in London, England, diners are promised "free" meals in exchange for their posting about the experience in social media. The meal isn't free as people are exercising free will in trading off their personal information for the food. We might be very happy to trade data for food in a transparent market where we give something and get something back that we want. But in the more opaque Big Data world, trading data for something of value isn't very clear, and more often than not, we're not offered anything in exchange for an asset people don't yet fully recognize as a personal asset: Our data that we create every day if we use a credit card, an online social network, or a digital device with an app. Show less

Danny Wegman, the president of the privately-owned grocery chain bearing his family's name, wrote a letter to New York State legislators in support of their spending $65 million to support the NY State Health Insurance Network (NY-SHIN). Why would a grocer believe so strongly in health data? Read the backstory....

Will mainstream-middle consumers who are chronically ill take to self-tracking health and medical issues? The current quantified-self marketplace is fragmented, lacking streamlined and artfully designed devices and elegant, easy-to-use data analytics. It's still heavy lifting...

CVS's decision to drop tobacco products from its store shelves will take a hit on the company's revenues. But in the long run, the pharmacy chain is doing the right thing for customers' and the community's health, and will be a boon to shareholders.

As people pay more out-of-pocket for health care, and consumer behavior shifted post-recession to more do-it-yourself and self-services modes, welcome to the new era of DIY Health. The growth of high-deductible health plans, peoples' adoption of mobile communication platforms, and greater interest in self-care and health engagement, all bolster HealthcareDIY.

People - health consumers, patients and caregivers alike - are adopting information and communications technologies to help manage health, wellness, health care and health financial management. This paper outlines the market forces shaping the adoption of personal health IT (PHIT) and prospects for provider-people collaboration.

Women in the U.S. are stressed, pay more for consumer goods and health care, drink too much alcohol "before 5 o'clock," and are overdosing on opioids in record numbers. This post explains the American woman-in-pain and prospects for her health in light of health reform.

More than 127,000 people die every year in America from cardiovascular disease that could be prevented, accruing $17 billion in medical spending. The Union of Concerned Scientists has calculated "The $11 Trillion Reward: How Simple Dietary Changes Can Save Lives and Money, and How We Get There," a report published this month. Eating just one more portion of fruit or vegetables per day (that's 1/2 cup of either) would add up to $2.7 trillion (with a "t"). There is a large evidence base that… Show more

More than 127,000 people die every year in America from cardiovascular disease that could be prevented, accruing $17 billion in medical spending. The Union of Concerned Scientists has calculated "The $11 Trillion Reward: How Simple Dietary Changes Can Save Lives and Money, and How We Get There," a report published this month. Eating just one more portion of fruit or vegetables per day (that's 1/2 cup of either) would add up to $2.7 trillion (with a "t"). There is a large evidence base that proves expanding fruit and vegetable consumption lowers all kinds of chronic disease, and especially cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary heart disease and stroke. Other lifestyle choices, like smoking, sedentary behavior (a.k.a., the "sitting disease") and the natural aging process also contribute to heart disease. While there's not a whole lot we can do about aging, we can choose to spend our money differently in the grocery store. Show less

As consumers have more "skin in the game" in paying and making decisions for health care, they're seeking trustworthy places for price transparency and provider selection. This paper describes the drivers under this phenomenon, the market landscape, and prospects for the growth of online health marketplaces.

This book explores the benefits of digital patient engagement, from the perspectives of physicians, providers, and others in the healthcare system, and discusses what is working well in this new, digitally-empowered collaborative environment. Chapters present the changing landscape of patient engagement, starting with the impact of new payment models and Meaningful Use requirements, and the effects of patient engagement on patient safety, quality and outcomes, effective communications, and… Show more

This book explores the benefits of digital patient engagement, from the perspectives of physicians, providers, and others in the healthcare system, and discusses what is working well in this new, digitally-empowered collaborative environment. Chapters present the changing landscape of patient engagement, starting with the impact of new payment models and Meaningful Use requirements, and the effects of patient engagement on patient safety, quality and outcomes, effective communications, and self-service transactions. The book explores social media and mobile as tools, presents guidance on privacy and security challenges, and provides helpful advice on how providers can get started. Vignettes and 23 case studies showcase the impact of patient engagement from a wide variety of settings, from large providers to small practices, and traditional medical clinics to eTherapy practices. Show less

Sensors are proliferating in health care. How to make sense of the fast-growth phenomenon? While the price and accessibility of sensor-based devices in health care is growing, there are questions about how quickly the health system - especially doctors - can accept patient- and consumer-generated health data. This paper describes the market landscape for sensors in health care, and offers a forecast for the future along with an engaging infographic.

This article discusses the role of patients and self-care enabled through the use of technology. Patients have shown interest in healthcare tools that are artfully designed and based on their wants and personal habits. The expectation is that, as these tools evolve, patients will find sufficient motivation and capability to join with their providers to co-manage their health.

The internet is playing a growing role in bolstering peoples' access to mental health services, especially for depression and anxiety. This paper outlines the market drivers shaping mental health online, the growing platform of services and providers, and prospects for the growth of The Online Couch.

There is a primary care shortage in the U.S. which threatens the long-term financial viability of the American health system. Too much care occurs in higher-cost, inappropriate settings when patients-people could benefit from more care delivered in the community, at workplaces, in schools, at retail health touchpoints, and at home. This paper discusses the primary care market in the U.S., prospects for enlarging the primary care supply, and a vision for Primary Care, Everywhere that can help… Show more

There is a primary care shortage in the U.S. which threatens the long-term financial viability of the American health system. Too much care occurs in higher-cost, inappropriate settings when patients-people could benefit from more care delivered in the community, at workplaces, in schools, at retail health touchpoints, and at home. This paper discusses the primary care market in the U.S., prospects for enlarging the primary care supply, and a vision for Primary Care, Everywhere that can help bend the cost curve and improve public health outcomes and consumer satisfaction. Show less

The role of the smartphone in health and health care is growing mainstream for most people in the world - both in developed and developing countries. This paper explains how smartphones are changing health care for both people/consumers/caregivers and for health providers in reducing friction in the health system and driving access to people who need care in the right place, at the right time.

As more people use the internet to see advice and support from peer-patients, the value of the health social network grows. This was one of the first papers to identify and explain the phenomenon of patient social networks, predicting their growth and importance in the health ecosystem. Peer-to-peer healthcare is a growing and increasingly mainstream aspect of the U.S. health system.