SO MUCH FOR THE ENTITLEMENTS CRISIS:

The way I see it, we can expect three data revolutions in health care. The first wave helps medical practices and hospitals run their businesses efficiently. The data lets them see (often for the first time) what they're doing. It spotlights where they're wasting time, energy and money. This process alone, while it sounds simple, promises to bring astounding efficiency gains to health care. The second stage uses data to help with diagnoses and treatment, and to manage the health of a population. It backs up the doctor's informed gut intuition, which is still valuable, with science. This should result in immense qualitative gains.

In the third stage, we move from Big Dumb Medicine to Small Smart Medicine. For this, we look at all of society as a vast laboratory. What are people doing? How are they eating and exercising? For the first time, we have the wherewithal to carry out research on how people live in the real world. How are the different medicines working? Maybe one medication works far better in hot climates, or for non-smokers, or only for heavy drinkers. While historically we have approved only the medicines and therapies that are safe and work for all of us, as if we were farm animals, we now have a chance to figure out the right medicines, diet, and therapy for each individual. The opportunities are near limitless.

The impact of these three revolutions on health care will be enormous, so big in fact that it's ridiculous for government officials and corporate accountants to be drawing up projections of health care spending in 2025 or 2030. 

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