Insights on International Export Opportunities for Health IT shared with Government & Industry Leaders at White House Roundtable
Importance of ‘Patient Engagement’ Emphasized
Rockville, Maryland – July 23, 2013 —
With the global Health IT industry expected to grow to $250 billion by 2015, according to the World Bank, the U.S. is poised to claim a sizeable share of that market thanks to significant innovations around healthcare service delivery models, payment reforms, patient health record access and online care management tools.
While the U.S. had been lagging behind many of its European counterparts on healthcare and patient outcomes, a recent White House roundtable event showcased how America has moved from a laggard to a leader in this space, thanks to companies offering know-how and products that are garnering international interest. The White House tapped a select group of those companies — including Rockville, Maryland-based Get Real Health — to share their experiences and perspectives at its Roundtable on Health IT and Exports held June 24, 2013.
Get Real Health President and Founding Partner Robin Wiener spoke at the event about the 60-employee company’s work both in the U.S. and overseas in developing HIT and patient engagement tools, including its flagship product, InstantPHR™. Wiener was a panelist for the session on “Small/Medium Sized Companies: Target Markets, Priorities and Partnership Opportunities,” which was moderated by William Rowland, Export Finance Officer, Global Business Development Division, Export-Import Bank.
The panel was designed to feature companies with limited experience in exporting that have recently reached out to the International Trade Administration (ITA) for assistance. Panelists discussed examples of Health IT subsectors and countries/regions of interest for possible export opportunities. The Export-Import Bank provided information on financing options available to companies interested in exporting.
“The Obama Administration put its heavy hitters in the room, showing how important HIT is as a valuable commodity that can be exported,” observed Wiener. “We were there alongside executives from Intel, Oracle, QualComm Life and HIMSS, so it was a great opportunity to share our story with, and learn a lot from, these major players.”
The ITA is working to help HIT vendors like Get Real Health wherever they can in order to generate exports and create jobs, explained Wiener. While the Roundtable was meant to focus on how HIT can be exported, almost every speaker also talked about the importance of “patient engagement.”
“That was exciting to hear, since Get Real has the tools to create and power patient engagement systems,” said Wiener. “It was also great confirmation that what we’re doing is innovative and delivers what the market is demanding. Our system captures patient-reported data in a structured and sourced manner. To be at the table with HIT and government leaders and talk about the potential to market these capabilities globally was exciting.”
According to Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, the Obama Administration has made it a top priority to improve the conditions that directly affect the private sector’s ability to export, noting the President’s 2010 announcement of the National Export Initiative to double exports by the end of 2014, and to strengthen America’s economy and ensure long-term, sustainable growth.
The demand for — and promise of — HIT innovation is growing rapidly as the U.S. and many nations around the world push for the adoption of electronic systems designed to meet health needs cost effectively.
“We have a track record of collaborating with industry and government partners to develop tools, products and services that empower patients and families to assume their rightful place alongside medical providers in achieving better and more affordable health care outcomes,” said Wiener. “Knowing that our government has our back, and that we have a place to go for export support, is very encouraging.”
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