In an Internet Economy, Health Care Needs to Meet the Consumer’s Needs

H&HN March 28, 2017
Kenneth Kaufman

A focus on expertise should be reoriented toward patient preferences.

For many years, credentialed experts have acted as gatekeepers for specialized knowledge and service. Attorneys have been gatekeepers for the legal system, universities for higher education, publishers for information and scholars for research findings. These experts have shaped available services, granted access to those services and plotted the course for consumers to navigate the services. In some cases, the gatekeeper’s standing is enforced by law and regulation. In most cases, the gatekeepers are involved in managing the flow of funds.

Control is a core purpose of the expertise model. For nontraditional competitors, the expertise model creates a high barrier by defining the rules and playing field. The more entrenched...

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