Lucien Engelen on ‘cracking the code’ to prescribing health

Lucien Engelen on ‘cracking the code’ to prescribing health

Note: This is Part 4 of a five-part series highlighting speakers from MaRS HealthKick 2015, an annual pitch competition for health startups at MaRS. Read the firstsecond and third instalments. Visit the event website to learn more about the program, speakers, jury and startup companies. MaRS HealthKick 2015 is an invite-only event.

As Lucien Engelen sees it, healthcare has always been about treating disease, when it should have been about maintaining good health. People ignore their health until they start to lose it, and while they typically know what they should be doing, they don’t follow the necessary ‘prescription.’ While there have been many attempts to use technology to drive health maintenance, to date they have largely failed. However, Lucien feels that within the next 18 months, someone will crack the code on prescribing health in a way that will achieve high compliance. Mobile technology will be an essential element of that successful solution.

Lucien founded and directs the Radboud REshape Center in Holland. The Center monitors and experiments with the convergence of technology and patient empowerment, the theme of MaRS HealthKick this year. The Center aims to fill the gap that is created when industry fails to create the required breakthrough programs, foresights and products. He is passionate about changing healthcare to enhance the participation of patients in the informal care of their own health and any diseases they may develop.

In this call-to-action video, Lucien powerfully presents the Radboud REshape Manifesto:

You may have spotted e-Patient Dave in this video (at 0:42). Dave and Lucien will share their passion to improve healthcare on stage during this year’s MaRS HealthKick keynote and panel discussion, along with Melinda Richter and Dr. Mike Evans.

Lucien views Apple HealthKit as a promising platform to achieve the impending successful health management prescription that he foresees, so accordingly REshape Center is an Apple HealthKit partner (at 2:42). Lucien Engelen has worked since 2007 at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in Holland as head of the regional emergency healthcare network. He is the author of several books, essays, chapters and scientific articles on the change of healthcare due to shifting patient perspectives and exponential technology growth. He is also a core faculty member of Singularity University Exponential Medicine and ‘Chief Imagineer’ at the Dutch National IT Institute for Healthcare (NICTIZ).

His contribution to MaRS HealthKick is sure to be thought-provoking and inspirational.

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