CHIBE Q&A with Dr. Vivian Lee

Get to know Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, MBA, President of Health Platforms at Verily Life Sciences and a member of the Center for Health Incentives & Behavioral Economics’ (CHIBE) External Advisory Board through our Q&A!

You recently came out with a book called: “The Long Fix: Solving America’s Health Care Crisis with Strategies that Work for Everyone.” If you could snap your fingers and make one change to improve the US health care system, what would you do?

With a snap of my fingers, states and the federal government would unite in a shared vision to declare the fixing of our health care system a strategic imperative for the nation. They would link arms on the path forward for health care reform that would include a commitment to providing access to care for all, to shifting aggressively to new payment models that reward better outcomes and lower costs of care, to ensuring that health systems and medical groups have the leaders and tools to manage the transition successfully, to build new digital technologies such as apps and comprehensive health records that would enable lower cost, evidence-based, personalized care for all, and commit to raising the standards of care for all. And in doing this, that united government would set a clear deadline for the public and private sector to work together to achieve these shared goals.

What do you think health care in the United States will look like in 50 years?

Since I have no crystal ball, here’s what I would like to see health care in the United States in 50 years look like:

• We will have a health care system where everyone has access to high-quality health care that will be mostly embedded in our daily life rituals — with schools that teach healthy life habits, sensors, and personalized apps that encourage activities that lead to better health, and thoughtful home-based care for seniors approaching the ends of their lives.
• A fair and equitable business model for health that incentivizes prevention and primary health to such a degree that chronic diseases affect a minority of the population.
• Most care happens at home or on the go, while hospitals provide limited high acuity, procedure-based services.
• Health care professionals reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, and their experiences from the beginning are designed to offer learning and feedback for continuous improvement, which is further enhanced by AT-driven insights and support.
• We’re living longer, healthier lives, and the costs of health care have dropped to <10% of GDP.

What projects are you working on right now?

I’m working with my team on building products and services at Verily that will get us closer to that 50-year vision.