Panel: Healthcare to be More Consumerized

by Brian Lee

2019 OnRamp Healthcare keynote

Healthcare is moving to be much more consumerized, a panel of healthcare experts explained at the OnRamp Healthcare Conference held Wednesday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.

First, patients need better access to their own data, according to Advocate Aurora Health Medical Director of Commercial Health Rupesh Patel. He provided an example that banks offer secure data to their customers, so healthcare providers also should be able to.

“Patients will become better owners of their data,” Patel said.

WEA Trust Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Tim Bartholow agreed with Patel.

“There’s this growing expectation that data that was previously unavailable can now be accessed,” Bartholow said. “We’re not as constrained as we were five years ago.”

In addition to focusing on patient data, Bartholow said that payers and providers need to make sure that healthcare services are affordable.

That will lead to consumers doing “a lot more shopping for their healthcare,” Launchpad Digital Health VC Investor Solome Tibebu said.

Bright Health Manager of Supplemental Benefits Cameron Carter added, “Consumers want more details to make more informed decisions. Data is gold.”

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OnRamp Healthcare Conference organizers said that more than 600 people are in attendance for the inaugural event, which includes separate tracks for the conference and for startups.

Madison Startups is a media sponsor of the conference.