Healthcare.com

Despite more than a decade of change, the United States health care delivery system is still in the early stages of its transformation into a truly effective, cost efficient and compassionate system. In Healthcare.com: RX for Reform, Dr. David Friend, trained in both medicine and business, delineates the symptoms of the ailing healthcare system and offers a vision for the future. To tackle these challenges we must strike a balance between the seemingly dissimilar disciplines of economics, medicine, technology, and politics. Dr. Friend proposes tearing down the brick-and-mortar delivery model and replacing it with a Virtual Health Care System.

David B. Friend, M.D., MBA, leads Watson Wyatt's consulting operations in the eastern United States and is a member of the firm's Global Management Committee. Dr. Friend also serves on the Board of Directors of Watson Wyatt and is Chairman of the Finance Committee. Prior to being appointed to his current position, Dr. Friend served as the global director of group and health care consulting for Watson Wyatt. In his consulting capacity, Dr. Friend provides strategic advice concerning the restructuring of the health care industry. His clients include employers, providers, governments and insurers. Dr. Friend has held executive positions at High Volt­age Engineering, Bank Boston, Robertson Stephenson and Sanus (now part of Aetna). Dr. Friend earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Bran­deis University, a master's of business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a medical doctorate degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and a licensed physician in the state of Massachusetts. He is also a member of the Board of the Institute for Health Policy at The Heller School of Brandeis University. Dr. Friend holds an appointment at Harvard Medical School's Brigham & Women's Hospital where he is a Visiting Scientist at the Innovation Center for Information Technology. Dr. Friend is a frequently sought out speaker and commentator. He and his wife, Susan, live in the Boston area.

Chapter 1: Three Powerful Forces -- Chapter 2: New Deal, New Values -- Chapter 3: From Wastecare to Hollowcare -- Chapter 4: Opening the Door to Efficientcare -- Chapter 5: The Virtual Health Care System -- Chapter 6: Changing Roles -- Chapter 7: Paying Hippocrates -- Chapter 8: Disability: The Hidden Health Care Dilemma -- Chapter 9: Value Purchasing and Partnerships -- Conclusion -- Index.