Comments on: Healthcare and critical thinking http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/healthcare-and-critical-thinking We Help Managers Make a Difference Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:26:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bill Welter http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/healthcare-and-critical-thinking/comment-page-1#comment-489 Bill Welter Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:56:33 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=167#comment-489 Fred, Good analysis as always. I especially liked your third point about "supply side" issues. Think of the competitive advantage a group of doctors could gain if they learned to deal with lead times. Time is an important factor in our definition of quality and business such as Walgreens and CVS understand that with their limited scope clinics. Some smart business person could create a powerful offering by addressing the number one complaint -- time is money and many docs act as if we have all the time in the world. Fred,
Good analysis as always. I especially liked your third point about “supply side” issues. Think of the competitive advantage a group of doctors could gain if they learned to deal with lead times. Time is an important factor in our definition of quality and business such as Walgreens and CVS understand that with their limited scope clinics. Some smart business person could create a powerful offering by addressing the number one complaint — time is money and many docs act as if we have all the time in the world.

]]> By: Fred H Schlegel http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/healthcare-and-critical-thinking/comment-page-1#comment-483 Fred H Schlegel Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:18:04 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=167#comment-483 Hi Bill, I believe the issues are pretty muddled at this point unfortunately so folks are arguing from different starting points. Hard to make progress when that happens. I recently heard the Mayo Clinic (one of the best hospitals) was also one of the most cost effective because of some very specific strategies they adopted years ago, so in my mind it is likely that improved health care will also end up being less costly health care. My concerns with the current system (which are beginning to firm up, but still shift) revolve around three aspects: First - small business competitiveness (The insurance industry's habit of raising prices till insurance is dropped when you have a chronically ill employee is a key problem here. Solve this for small business and you probably solve it for the individual as well.) Second - treatment driven by non-health factors (whether consciously or not we are on a curve of over treatment in crises and under treatment for chronic and preventative. Things driving this could be reimbursement, could be patient demand, could be fear of lawsuits, could be oversupply of equipment for tests. Not sure, but again, some areas seem to be harder hit than others. Plenty of room to learn.) Third - Unanticipated loss of access. (Not just a rant against employer based or insurance companies. My wife is trying to find a new primary gp and she's being given wait times of three and four months. I'm not sure how many offices she will have to call before getting in. This smacks of an issue on the supply side.) Look forward to the series. .-= Fred H Schlegel´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/frogblog/yTub/~3/zqqoMmzO8Wg/" rel="nofollow">The 3 P’s of Innovation</a> =-. Hi Bill, I believe the issues are pretty muddled at this point unfortunately so folks are arguing from different starting points. Hard to make progress when that happens. I recently heard the Mayo Clinic (one of the best hospitals) was also one of the most cost effective because of some very specific strategies they adopted years ago, so in my mind it is likely that improved health care will also end up being less costly health care. My concerns with the current system (which are beginning to firm up, but still shift) revolve around three aspects:

First – small business competitiveness (The insurance industry’s habit of raising prices till insurance is dropped when you have a chronically ill employee is a key problem here. Solve this for small business and you probably solve it for the individual as well.)

Second – treatment driven by non-health factors (whether consciously or not we are on a curve of over treatment in crises and under treatment for chronic and preventative. Things driving this could be reimbursement, could be patient demand, could be fear of lawsuits, could be oversupply of equipment for tests. Not sure, but again, some areas seem to be harder hit than others. Plenty of room to learn.)

Third – Unanticipated loss of access. (Not just a rant against employer based or insurance companies. My wife is trying to find a new primary gp and she’s being given wait times of three and four months. I’m not sure how many offices she will have to call before getting in. This smacks of an issue on the supply side.)

Look forward to the series.
.-= Fred H Schlegel´s last blog ..The 3 P’s of Innovation =-.

]]> By: The 3 P’s of Innovation | Frog Blog http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/index.php/healthcare-and-critical-thinking/comment-page-1#comment-479 The 3 P’s of Innovation | Frog Blog Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:06:19 +0000 http://www.adaptstrat.com/blog/?p=167#comment-479 [...] me if I have used Ying/Yang improperly. I think it makes the point, but would love clarification.) Bill Welter’s critical thinking comes into play here. Invention is not enough, you must understand how invention fits within the market or your [...] [...] me if I have used Ying/Yang improperly. I think it makes the point, but would love clarification.) Bill Welter’s critical thinking comes into play here. Invention is not enough, you must understand how invention fits within the market or your [...]

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