Health 2.0 Accelerator, a consortium focused on promoting integration of technology and the consumer experience to advance consumer-centric health care, announced today that Kaiser Permanente will join other "Health 2.0 companies" as participants in the Health 2.0 Accelerator (http://h2anetwork.org).
The Health 2.0 Accelerator (H2A) carves out an important role in a rapidly evolving space where consumer technology tools and health information technology are of increasing importance to both patients and care providers. H2A works with its participants to encourage collaboration around specific business or technical objectives to benefit consumers in ways that are challenging or inefficient for companies to tackle alone. For "traditional" health care participants, H2A aims to foster collaboration among Health 2.0 companies, recognizing that consumer-centric care is not about promoting self-diagnosis in a vacuum.
"Individuals want to be better informed and better equipped to improve their health, but not without guidance from health care professionals. Kaiser Permanente has long been a leader when it comes to patient-centered care and patient empowerment, but continually looks for ways to achieve even higher levels of patient engagement. The joining of both large organizations with those newer to the health care scene creates a dynamic that truly fosters innovative thinking and collaboration," said Julie Murchinson, Executive Director of the Health 2.0 Accelerator.
Kaiser Permanente is widely recognized as a leader in health information technology, a reputation that was further reinforced by its significant investments in Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(TM), its comprehensive electronic health record system. More recently, Kaiser Permanente has earned accolades for its attention to patient-provider connectivity through their personal health record, My Health manager on kp.org, early adoption of telehealth technologies and use of medical devices for managing chronic conditions. The increasing focus on engagement beyond the four walls of the hospital has yielded a great deal of attention and support for the "Health 2.0 movement." Kaiser Permanente's participation and support of the Health 2.0 Conference since its first event in the fall of 2007 is now reiterated by its membership in the Health 2.0 Accelerator, where it will work with like-minded organizations to enhance current approaches to managing and improving health through the use of web and mobile tools.