In a compelling, recently posted TED talk, Thomas Goetz, author and executive editor at Wired, argues that better health isn't a science problem - it's an information problem. He believes that giving people specific information on their health - "where they stand and where they want to get to" - is what prompts behavioral change that can lead to better health. And, at 14:30 in the video, he explains why medical charts should be easier to access and easier to understand for the patient:
We need to recognize that the target of this information... should be the patient. It's the person who actually in the end is... having to change their lives and start adopting new behaviors. This is information that is incredibly powerful - it's an incredibly powerful catalyst to change. But we're not using it - it's just sitting there.
In a recent 1:2:1 podcast, Goetz, who is also scheduled to speak at the upcoming Stanford Summit @ Medicine 2.0, shared his thoughts on other tools that can help people improve their health.
