One of the many questions I ask my guests on my podcast is “What books do you recommend to the listeners?” because I am a firm believer that books help cultivate thoughts, widen insights, and shape ideas. We learn something from each book we read and each book can be a gateway into new learnings and insights that can transform us, our companies and the healthcare system.

Recently, I had the chance to interview Kevin Pereau who is a leading digital health expert and author of The Digital Health Revolution. He’s the Founder and Principal at TranscendedIT Health, a boutique health care strategy and a management consulting firm focused on helping payors, providers and consumers get maximum value from digital health technologies. 

Less Jargon, More Insight for Consumers/Patients

Pereau’s recent book, The Digital Health Revolution, is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand digital health and the wave of consumerism in healthcare better in the new year. It’s a pop culture look at how our smartphones are changing the way we manage our health and what we need to be doing about it.  There’s not a lot of jargon targeted at industry insiders. It is a book that sums up the shift in healthcare that digital is creating so that patients can empower their own healthcare journey.

I like that Pereau took this consumer approach instead of the standard B2B approach taken in healthcare.  With rising drug costs, rising insurance deductibles, stagnant outcomes and disgruntled consumers, the entrance of tech companies into healthcare that know how to respond to consumer demands is creating a shift.  In his book, Pereau empowers consumers to take bold action by first understanding the shift that is currently happening.

According to Pereau, “ …the book is not about the industry for the industry…It’s really a book for your brother or your sister, your mom, your dad, your friends. And it’s a glimpse into who the innovators are and how we can connect to what they’re doing and why should we even care and what we need to be able to connect.”

Kevin wrote the book because he wanted to better connect the innovators and those who were making a really big change in healthcare with the people who could benefit from it the most.  The consumer of healthcare.

Pereau interviewed 30 highly influential people across the healthcare sector that include payer executives, providers from Mayo, Harvard and more to deliver some fantastic insights.  

Technology, Influencers and Consumers Converge

“We tried to capture and share inside of the innovators who are really driving the disruption and solving real-world health care problems and delivering real value, from Andy Slavitt to  Beth Anderson, Abner Mason, and Sean Duffy…” They interviewed them on the critical issues and trends we all need to be aware of that include how we can leverage wearables, everyday digital devices, big data, AI and other tech to improve the overall healthcare experience for people. 

Pereau’s background in the tech sector helped him transition successfully into the healthcare space.  He was heavily influenced by his family to make the move into healthcare. He felt motivated to get into healthcare because he saw the opportunity to make some big improvements, and the challenge was too big and too juicy to pass.  He’s made a big splash with insights he’s delivered in his book.

The Digital Health Revolution sold 10,000 books in the first 60 days it was published. This 240-page paperback has received incredible reviews from other healthcare thought leaders and raving reviews from the general public.  Readers love how the book explained digital health in a way that was easy to understand and with plenty of ‘real-world details’. Some commented that the book left them empowered and in control of their health. They love that they’ve gotten a better grasp of how new technology can serve their health needs. 

If you’re looking to better understand digital health and healthcare consumerism, this is a must-read in 2020.  The Digital Health Revolution offers exceptional value to its reader. For more info on the book check it out here.  To listen to my interview with the Keven Pereau listen here or on your favorite podcast platform.