Visualizing Ankle Sprains: A Decent Business Idea
Help me understand what is wrong with my shoulder and I'll pay you $250. If I go to the doctor, get referred to a specialist and get an MRI, it will cost me well over that amount. Help others understand their soft-tissue injury and you stand to take a piece of a $6.5 billion dollar industry (2003 Medtech Insight Report). Many (in my experience, most) doctors don't have a clue when it comes to effective soft-tissue injury treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation. If they do, they certainly don't do a good job of communicating it. Orthopedists make money in imaging and surgery, not tracking down the true cause of your injury. And good luck getting referred in the first place...
Here's how to take advantage of this information gap (and make some money in the process): Create simple diagrams and handouts explaining common causes of common soft-tissue injuries along with a simple and effective treatment plan. Do the research, compile good information from around the world, and become an expert at communicating that information. You'll improve the effectiveness of doctor-patient communication ten-fold. Patients will receive more effective, standardized advice and the healthcare system will reap the benefits of a healthier, more informed public. This simple change would drastically reduce the number of useless doctor visits and surgeries. When the injury doesn't justify going to the doctor (such as a simple sprained ankle), this information would serve consumers directly. This is a win-win for patients and the healthcare system.
As costs of medical care rise precipitously, we, as patients (i.e. consumers of medical services), are expected to take on more responsibility for our own health care. We have to decide which injuries and ailments require a doctor's attention and which don't. But how am I supposed to make an informed decision on my strained sternocleidomastoid when it sounds more like a prehistoric elephant than a part of my own body? It is, in fact, a muscle in the neck. If patients are expected to make informed decisions, we need information in a format we can understand. The scientific jargon sounds like gobbledygook to most people. Simple diagrams are an absolute necessity.
It took me two years, a lot of a time, and a LOT of my insurance company's money to figure this out, but I'll give you this one for free - resting without some form of rehabilitation will almost never cure tendonitis. Unless you go after the root cause of the swelling, it will return as soon as you go back to whatever activity aggravated it.
Take-Away:
Information gaps like this exist everywhere. Leverage strong communication skills to fill them in and make money in the process.
