John R. Patrick1, Jin Ye Yeo2
1Attitude LLC, Palm Coast, FL, USA; 2MH Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company
Correspondence to: Jin Ye Yeo. MH Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company. Email: editor@themhealth.org
This interview can be cited as: Patrick JR, Yeo JY. Meeting the Editorial Board Member of MH: Dr. John R. Patrick. mHealth. 2024. Available from: https://mhealth.amegroups.org/post/view/meeting-the-editorial-board-member-of-mh-dr-john-r-patrick.
Expert introduction
Dr. John R. Patrick (Figure 1) is the President of Attitude LLC and former Vice President for Internet Technology at IBM, where he worked for thirty-five years. During his IBM career, Dr. Patrick was the Vice President of Marketing for the launch of the IBM ThinkPad brand. As one of the leading Internet visionaries, Dr. Patrick is a well-known international lecturer and has been quoted frequently in the global media. Business 2.0 named him one of The 25 Most Intriguing Minds of the New Economy.
Dr. Patrick has published seven books. His latest, published in August 2022 is Reflection Attitude: Past, Current, and Future. His other books include Robot Attitude: How Robots and Artificial Intelligence Will Make Our Lives Better, Home Attitude: Everything You Need To Know To Make Your Home Smart (2017), Election Attitude – How Internet Voting Leads to a Stronger Democracy (2016), Net Attitude: What it is, How to Get it, and Why it is More Important Than Ever(2016), Health Attitude: Unraveling and Solving the Complexities of Healthcare, (2015), and Net Attitude: What It Is, How to Get It, and Why Your Company Can’t Survive Without It (2001).
Dr. Patrick was a co-founding member of the World Wide Web Consortium at MIT in 1994, a founding member and past chairman of the Global Internet Project, a member of the Internet Society and the American College of Healthcare Executives, a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Dr. Patrick has been a business and technology advisor to numerous companies. He is also a member of Nuvance Health Digital Patient Experience Executive Committee.
Figure 1 Dr. John R. Patrick
Interview
MH: Can you share how you first became involved in technology and what sparked your passion for Internet and digital innovation?
Dr. Patrick: My love for technology started very early in my life. As a young child, I loved Tinker Toys and Erector Sets. Later it was electronic Heathkits and ham radio. Then motorcycles, airplanes, and home automation. After going to engineering school and 30 years at IBM, I experienced the Internet. I was sure it would change the world. Subsequently, I had no doubt artificial intelligence (AI) would cause even bigger changes.
MH: As one of the leading visionaries in the Internet space, you have seen technology evolve dramatically. What are some aspects of the Internet that have enhanced our lives, particularly in the healthcare field?
Dr. Patrick: The World Wide Web, built on the Internet, made it possible for billions of people to gain access to knowledge regardless of where they were in the world. Scientific discoveries did not have to wait for published journals to make their way to others. Discoveries became nearly instantly available worldwide. When a disease arose, the web made it possible to have a warning before the disease spread. Consumers do not have to rely on television advertisements to learn about symptoms and cures. They are all online at reputable web sites from top medical institutions.
MH: In your book Robot Attitude (2017), you discuss how robots and artificial intelligence (AI) will improve our lives. How do you see AI and robots shaping the future of the healthcare industry? What are the most promising applications or technologies that excite you the most?
Dr. Patrick: The healthcare industry has not kept up with the pace of technology as in other industries. AI presents an opportunity for it to catch up. Every aspect of healthcare will be impacted by AI. It is already beginning to happen. Radiology is frequently highlighted as an area which can benefit the most, but every other area can benefit as much or more. My focus presently is neuroscience. One area of great interest to me is robotics imbued with AI. Stroke patients are often in the hospital for extended stays, and the patients get lonely. There is not adequate staff to spend enough time with them. A robotic companion could fill the gap. The potential is even greater in the home where robot companions will be able to do more than talk with homebound patients, but can assist them with meals, house cleaning, and serving medications.
MH: In Health Attitude (2015), you tackle the complexities of healthcare. How have these complexities changed since then, and what do you see as the most significant barriers to achieving meaningful change in healthcare in the present day?
Dr. Patrick: Unfortunately, things have not improved in the United States. The complexity of navigating healthcare is extremely difficult for millions of people. Healthcare costs are much higher per capita than in other developed countries, but outcomes are not better. Barriers include heavy regulation and a culture which at times resists change. The high cost is due to politicians who receive donations to their re-election campaigns and who protect high-cost and highly profitable segments of the healthcare business.
MH: With your extensive experience advising business and healthcare organizations, what advice would you give to young entrepreneurs or professionals looking to enter the intersection of technology and healthcare?
Dr. Patrick: Progress at the intersection of technology and healthcare will be driven by AI. The opportunity is very large, but to capitalize on it, entrepreneurs will need to focus on helping healthcare executives get comfortable so that they can enhance patient care while improving quality and safety with AI. Entrepreneurs need to do more than show off algorithms. They have to peel back the inputs and outputs of algorithms and how they arrive at diagnoses and prescriptions.
MH: As someone who has seen and shaped technology’s evolution over several decades, what keeps you motivated to continue exploring the new frontiers in technology and writing books?
Dr. Patrick: My motivation stems from a continuous curiosity about how technology works and reshapes our world and the human experience. Watching technology evolve from simple tools into complex interconnected systems has been remarkable. Each new development offers a unique lens into the future, challenging me to understand its implications not only for individuals but for society at large. Writing books allows me to share what I learn from others.
In a world of rapid change, staying motivated is easy when there is so much yet to explore and understand.
MH: How has your experience been as an Editorial Board Member of MH and what are your expectations moving forward?
Dr. Patrick: I am proud to be a small part of mHealth. The parent company, AME Publishing Company, does an excellent job. It is a globally active open-access publisher specializing in the publication of dozens of medical journals. I am particularly impressed with the mHealth Journal. I have been writing about mHealth for almost ten years. I had a strong vision for the importance of mHealth devices and applications. It was a pleasure to find a journal which shared that vision. I expect mHealth to continue to share the vision of this important area.