Blogging Live from the World Health Care Congress 2008

Blogging Live from the World Health Care Congress 2008: " Here’s a smattering of quotations form some national thought leaders talking about health care reform and other key health care issues, during World Health Care Congress keynote sessions:

“The problem in dealing with health care issues in the world today is not ignorance, but pre-conceived ideas.” Hans Rosling, MD, PhD, Professor of International Healtht, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

“In today’s world, more efficient and effective caregivers simply deprive themselves of income.” George Halvorson

“Interestingly, physicians practicing in regions with the greatest supply of hospital beds, or regions with the greatest supply of specialists, perceive the greatest shortage of those beds or specialists.” Elliott Fisher

" When you pay for incremental reforms in funding, you only get incremental reforms in care.” Mark McCellan

“Health care costs are a very solvable problem. 70% of costs are driven by behavior. 74% of costs are confined to just four chronic conditions.” Steven A. Burd, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Safeway, Inc.

“Just like Blackberrys and Smart Phones filled a need for everyone in the audience, there is a deep need for the family health manager to have a mechanism to share store and manage their family health information.” Peter Neupert, Corporate Vice President, Health Solutions Group, Microsoft, Inc.

“Health care has traditionally been horrible about understanding people- consumers.” Reed V. Tuckson, MD FACP, EVP and Chief of Medical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group

“There are two major barriers with health information for consumers. How do you transport information from one setting of care to other settings of care, and how do you educate consumers to be literate about health information?” Reed Tuckson