THE NETWORKED HEALTH ENTERPRISE - A VISION FOR 2008

Informatics and information technology hold the promise of a consumer- centered health enterprise-one that provides quality care at a cost so ciety is willing to pay; one where need-based, adaptive, competency-ba sed learning results in cost-effectiveness of health education; one wh ere team-based health and learning on demand, coupled with monitoring of process outcomes and network access to expertise, guarantee quality . The barriers to this premise are the professional guilds, the cross- subsidies that support the health enterprise of 1998, and the lack of respect for privacy. Collectively, the informatics community needs to develop a compelling vision that will galvanize the health community t o action. If the health community does not step up to this challenge, consumers will take advantage of disintermediation. Empowered by the n etwork, they will go outside the system into hands that meet their nee ds.