(I wrote this piece 12 years ago – and while we have seen some advancements – there’s a long way to go.)

We each know the joy of sitting in a doctor’s office waiting for an appointment that would have started 30 minutes ago – if only the doctor was on time. Now, the first emotion is one of anger – “Is my time not as important as the doctor’s?” Natural response. (I would love to text the doctor to see when he might be available.)

Here is a way to shift that anger: doctors have to see upwards of 35 patients per day. Now, that leaves each visit with the doctor at 13 minutes (assuming the doctor can teleport between exam rooms – and never has to take a bathroom break.) So, in this case, let’s blame the insurance companies. Lower reimbursements require volume over quality. Still, think this is wrong?

I have had the opportunity to attend an event called Transform Healthcare sponsored and held annually by the Mayo Clinic over the past several years. Some of the brightest minds in healthcare, industry, and government all gather to talk about changing healthcare. It is agreed that the system is broken, but rather than fix it, we need to replace it. That is not to say we need to get rid of the healthcare institutions that have served us in research and other ways – it means that we have to add to the mix.

Let me give you an example using a different industry. When I was ten years old, I watched TV on 5 channels, went to the movies, and read comic books. My ten-year-old watches TV on 358 channels, watches on-demand videos, plays games on her iPod Touch, studies Spanish on her mother’s iPad, chats with her friends through Google, and does her homework on her laptop. Okay, so beyond the fact that I have technologically enabled my daughter, the options for communication and learning are exponentially greater today than they were 30 years ago. Healthcare professionals are seeing technology take over every aspect of their jobs.

Fast Company recently published an article that underscores this very point.

What Dr. Smartphone Can Do For You

The big shift is in the consumer (yes, the patient) taking control of their own health. With an iPhone and a clear WiFi signal, people all over the world are finding ways to take care of themselves and their families. There are online communities that mimic the real world dynamic of neighbors discussing remedies and finding answers to real problems. My grandmother can tell us all about those times – and she can find a remedy for every ailment (I think Windex is involved.) So in a time where we tout that technology is separating us as individuals, I say it is finding ways to bring us together in more meaningful ways.

At the conference I mentioned earlier, there was a young doctor that is setting the stage for just this evolution in healthcare. I introduce you to Jay Parkinson, MD, MPH. I also mentioned texting your doctor earlier. Fiction? Jay allows his patients to set their appointments on his Google calendar – and text him if they need a quicker answer. Did I mention he only makes house calls?

We are rethinking healthcare. Now.