Economist Intelligence Unit: The Future of Healthcare in Europe 2030

“2030 EU Future of Healthcare” is a white paper released in April by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceutical (a JnJ company).

Headline stats

The report and website videos share some familiar stats:

> By 2030 the population of Europe aged 65+ will grow by 1/3 to reach 24% (UN)

> Chronic Disease will increase. Already obesity rates across Europe have tripled since the 1980’s and already 60% of adults and 20% of school age children are obese (European Association for the Study of Obesity)

> “Growing patient demand”: Half of all “patient groups” say that cost “should not be a factor in medical decisions”

Future gazing

Rather amazingly the paper looks 30 years into the future of the European Healthcare system but doesn’t mention mobile networks, mobiles devices or the patient video opportunity that they will support.

In the list of “experts” that were interviewed for the research there isn’t one member from the newest trillion dollar industry – no the device that has already cannibalised or completely disrupted nearly every other tech or service industry.

Tasked with 20 year future gazing I find it hard to imagine how anyone could ignore the inevitable impact that the connected computer that is already in every patient and carers pocket is going to have.

Imagine if just 5 years ago the “personal music player” business had been completely ignorant of the mobile opportunity? Isn’t it obvious that instead of enabling the creation of the worlds biggest tech company the iPod would have merely joined Sony’s Walkman brand in the history books (something that the worlds #1 mobile industry analyst was telling the world about in 2006)?

Yes even the Futurists are being left behind by mobile innovation

Even though the report suggests technology moves forward on all fronts I’m amazed at such incredibly poor quality future gazing from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

I would be completely amazed if the author of this report (Alexandra Wyke) has ever had an iPhone as after more than ten years with a “proper” smartphone in my pocket I find it inconcieveable that in 2030 European citizens will be carrying a “credit card” as part of their healthcare service, registered Doctors will still be using stethoscopes and remote Doctors will be having their faces being projected onto screens attached to surgical robots…

3 Responses to Economist Intelligence Unit: The Future of Healthcare in Europe 2030

  1. […] Unit published a white paper titled 2030 – The future of healthcare in Europe, without, as 3G Doctor points out, a single mention of “mobile networks, mobiles devices or the patient video […]

  2. […] I’ve never heard them referring to mHealth initiatives as “Wireless” eg. in their Economist IU paper on the Future of Healthcare Wireless was never […]

  3. […] that I feel are in the Economist Intelligence Research that this video is building upon (eg. here and here) and could introduce even more confusion to the mHealth […]

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