Bradley Merrill Thompson, a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice, in the firm’s Washington, DC, office, was quoted in Healthcare Dive, in “What a Trump Administration May Mean for Digital Health,” by Meg Bryant.
Following is an excerpt:
“No matter what Republicans replace Obamacare with, cost and outcomes will remain a concern,” Thompson says, adding the evidence is mounting that digital solutions can improve patient outcomes at lower cost.
The Veterans Administration has also been a strong proponent of digital health, and that is likely to continue under the Trump administration, Thompson believes. He notes the agency has a webpage focused on disseminating apps that is regularly updated.
Still, Trump has not officially tapped anyone to lead the VA. Rumors that he is considering former vice presidential contender Sarah Palin, who does not have experience on veterans issues, has raised concerns about how healthcare and other pressing concerns would be managed.
Digital health has seen significant growth in recent years. “We’re seeing some new technologies that really have clear clinical benefit,” Thompson says. "For example, there’s a huge push to develop apps to help people with diabetes do a better job of managing their chronic condition, including a better job of titrating and dosing various forms of insulin. With diabetes constituting a growing epidemic, the digital health tools will be much needed.”
