The business community is becoming our de facto healthcare leaders. Policymakers’ failure to solve operational, pricing and access issues for our nation’s health is yielding unprecedented collaboration between business and healthcare entities to optimize technology, streamline delivery and strive for the holy grail – access to affordable, quality health care. These bold moves are an exciting opportunity, and yet there is an important component missing: engagement of the patient. Big business and payers have been less engaged with patient communities, relying instead on a host of advisory organizations and, from the outsider perspective, silo-ed thinking about the impact of choices that are good for the short-term bottom line, but that may overlook long-term consequences or missed opportunities for investment in improved health.

Just as CMS and FDA call on government and healthcare organizations alike to ensure patient-centricity in their work, this is a call to these influential and well-moneyed actors: take the time to include insights and experience from the people whose lives you cover, whose data you hold, whose pocketbooks you hope to benefit.  Their experience carries more wisdom and understanding of trade-offs than you assume.

In this issue: