Disruptive noises from Pennsylvania

I'm not sure how I missed this, but it is still timely and worth noting.  In June, a new Disruptive Health Technology Institute was created at Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with Allegheny Health Network and Highmark, Inc.  The insurance company, Highmark, will make its claims data available to DHTI researchers.  By mining that data, the researchers will make suggestions to CMU researchers as to fruitful areas that might benefit from new technologies.  The focus will be on accessibility of medical diagnostics, behavior change, chronic disease management, data mining, improved endoscopy, improved diagnostic ultrasound and infection prevention. The DHTI will then fund a small number of those ideas each year, eventually building a large library of research studies that might generate disruptive technologies in the field.

As the story notes,

Alan Russell, who will serve as the director of DHTI and as both executive VP and chief innovation officer for the Allegheny Health Network, says that healthcare is a field that needs to be shaken up.

For sure!

In July, Lynn M. Brusco was chosen to be executive director.  She is well qualified for the role, having served as vice president and chief relationship officer at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) and director of the PLSG Accelerator Fund.

We'll look forward to the results from this new institute.  I also see a potential for an alliance with our friends at the National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare.  I imagine they will have a lot to share over the coming years.