Jane Sarasohn-Kahn
Health Economist/Advisor at THINK-Health and Blogger at Health Populi
Jane is a health economist, advisor and trend-weaver supporting organizations at the intersection of health, technology and people. Jane founded THINK-Health after working for ten years with health care consultancies in the U.S. and Europe. Jane’s clients are all stakeholders in health: technology, bio/life sciences, providers, plans, retail, financial services, food and consumer goods. She founded the Health Populi blog in 2007. Jane sits on many advisory boards spanning healthcare, health technology and patient social networks. She is also on the Board of The Clinic, a free clinic for residents in her community. Jane is a frequent speaker and also contributes to the Huffington Post. Jane has been named one of the Top 100 Influencers and Brands in Digital Health, one of the Top 100 Most Influential Economists in the World, one of the Top 5 Women in Healthcare Blogs, one of 40 Healthcare Transformers, and one of 25 Health Care Leaders You Should Follow on Twitter.
How did you get to become an expert in healthtech?
My very health-engaged parents first inspired me as role models in personal health engagement, where I observed the power, first-hand, of what an activated patient could accomplish in self-care. Once I trained in health economics, and started my career as a health care consultant, I learned about the role for technology to help drive the Triple Aim – to bolster health outcomes, improve the health care experience, and reduce health care costs. Tech can be leveraged on both the clinical/healthcare institution side of the cost equation as well as the patient-consumer-caregiver role in self-care to optimize outcomes and lower costs.
What areas of healthtech are you most passionate about?
The Holy Grail for me as a health economist is how to work through the health and healthcare ecosystem to serve up care that’s enchanting and engaging, in a retail and experiential sense. Thus, 3 tectonic themes for me would be:
- Inspiring patients as consumers in self-healthcare to boost self-efficacy and competency
- Leveraging the person’s home as their true medical home and hub of health and wellness
- Supporting shared decision-making and conversations between health care providers (doctors, health coaches, nutritionists, other health experts) and patients, consumers and caregivers.
Which healthtech influencers influence you?
- Physicians: Atul Gawande, Robert Wachter, Joe Kvedar, Eric Topol, Rasu Shrestha, Bryan Vartabedian
- Patient community leaders: Jack Barrette (WEGO Health), Matthew Zachary (Stupid Cancer), Jamie Heywood and Benjamin Heywood (PatientsLikeMe)
- Health 2.0 conveners Matthew Holt and Indu Subaiya
- Innovators and Creatives: Roger Holzberg (Reimagine Well), Juhan Sonin (MIT/Involution Studios), Amy Cueva (Mad*Pow)
- The Ladies Who Dine – close colleagues who are my reality check in the field, including Alexandra Drane, Susannah Fox, Margaret Laws, and Lisa Suennen
Outside of healthtech who else influences you?
- Andre Blackman, Pulse + Signal and Onboard Health (public health advocate)
- Leana Wen, Baltimore Health Commissioner
- Abraham Verghese
- Andrew Weil
- Mark Bittman (good food advocate)
- Carlo Petrini, Slow Food founder
- Pope Francis
- So many others!
Which brands or products stand out for you in healthtech?
- The patient communities listed above, for supporting patients in peer-to-peer healthcare.
- Evidation Health for fiercely focusing on building the evidence base for what works in health tech and therapies.
- ECRI Institute, for their strong focus on patient safety.
- CVS Health, for quitting tobacco and working to bring front-and-back-of-store together.
- Kaiser-Permanente, for their commitment to innovation and evolving modes of healthcare outside of hospitals and doctors’ offices.
- Amazon, for the potential of what they can do for health and healthcare at home.
- Philips, for doubling-down on digital health
And many others…evolving every day…
If a brand wanted to work with you, what offline / online activities would you be most interested in?
Speaking, writing papers, strategy, advice
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
Best way to contact me is via email: jane@think-health.com