Assuming that changes in health care continue to move at the same rate they have for the past 50, maybe …

Whatever infrastructure, stable or unstable, we end up with at the end of this year, who knows what forces outside of government will go to work (or are already at work) to impact the industry.

Actually, the example Timimi gave was interesting. A woman had a rare condition and little research was being done. She then joined/started a Facebook group for the condition and connected with the few other women with the condition. They brought the issue to Mayo to ask if a small trial could be run or if they had any suggestions. A physician/researcher then got involved and requested a grant. When they needed more patients to run the trial, the first woman then went back to the fb group and recruited more women from around the world, thus allowing a trial to take place and some interventions to be designed. I was as surprised as anyone to think of social media in this way. Great question though!

“Ten minutes later he had his daughter’s sweater and a big grin on his face. The next day he was in the office asking, “Hey, why aren’t we doing this?”

Because the myriad interlocking perverse incentives run in the other direction.

Maybe we can change that absent a full-blown crash.

I hope so.