Patients bringing their own data to doctors is the next trend in healthcare

Anupam Goel has a big prediction: More and more patients will bring their own medical data into appointments with doctors and caregivers. Goel, chief medical information officer for Advocate Health Care, a 12-hospital health system in Illinois, is not alone in saying that such a consumer movement is percolating. Sanford Health said it will incorporate as many data sources as possible into its enterprise data warehouse, according to Doug Nowak, senior executive director of enterprise data and analytics. “I would more than welcome additional data from patients,” Nowak said. Same goes for Mohammed Saeed, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Michigan Medical School. “Increased patient ownership and autonomy over healthcare data is inevitable,” Saeed said. “Mobile devices such as cell phones and activity trackers contain invaluable information.” The American Hospital Association found in research published this month that patient-generated data and customized services are top among the areas where healthcare organizations are investing in innovation today -- with the aim of improving patient experience and managing high-cost populations.