TEDMED 2013 wraps up today. When it was at its best, TEDMED included a series of gut-wrenching patient stories, blunt challenges to the orthodoxy of the profit margins of non-profit hospitals, and discussions on how medicine looks at patients and itself.
It was very much a 2.0 version of last year’s TEDMED (2012 was owner Jay Walker’s first try at his vision of a Davos of Healthcare in the nation’s capital). This year has a different feel. “The Hive,” which is the organization’s vendor and expo area, is peppered with early-stage startup companies along with some of healthcare’s biggest players. On stage, there was everything from the weird – health guru Richard Simmons wins that description in spades – to the aggressive: athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush gave the conference a new dimension by challenging many in healthcare (even some of his customers).
Many of TEDMED’s talks will be shared online later. Below are sneak peeks of six you should definitely look for.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
“Does anyone in healthcare want to be understood?” from Sally Okun, Vice President for Advocacy, Policy and Patient Safety at PatientsLikeMe.
“For Profit & Non-Profits: Can this marriage be saved?” from Jonathan Bush, CEO of athenahealth
“Is the ‘obesity crisis’ just a disguise for a deeper problem?” from Dr. Peter Attia, president and co-founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI)
“Are zombie doctors taking over America?,” from Dr. Zubin “ZDoggMD” Damania, director of Healthcare Development for Downtown Project Las Vegas
“What is the best medicine,” from Ben Lillie and Erin Barker, co-founders of The Story Collider
“How does an illness become an identity?” from Andrew Solomon, author of “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity.”
