Saturday, March 23, 2013


Future of Health Care, In Retrospect
No endeavor that is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect.”
Edward Teller (1908-2003), theoretical physicist

In retrospect,
Seventy years ago
The big idea sounded simple
Awaken the doctors
Put them on salary
Organize and unite them
Around a common purpose
Serving and engaging patients
Better at lower costs
Guide, direct, and control
All aspects of care
From health plans
To hospitals, to clinics
To doctors
Think big
Think about what makes a difference
Think systematically
Think in terms of big systems
Think about what patients need
Develop it for  them
Give it to them
Think as a team
Continuously improve
Build on your base
Involve everybody
Praise them lavishly
Remind them where you’ve been
Remind them where you’re going
Set goals
Meet your targets
Think about the big picture
Think about how the big problems
Organize to solve them in a big way
Think about the big chronic illnesses
Think about what kills people too soon
Prevent  what  kills them prematurely
Think how to minimize complications
Continuously educate patients
Recognize five major illnesses
Cause 70% of costs
Give doctors the tools
they need at site of care
Give patients information they need
At home, at work, and at site of care
Invest heavily in electronic health records
Expand but retreat when necessary
Acknowledge what works for you
Here and esewhere
May not work everywhere

Innovate constantly
Organize other innovators
Learn from them

And them from you
Operate as a caregiver team
Treat all with equal respect
You're  in this together
Broadcast your accomplishments
Admit and analyze your failures
Do better next time
Minimize the information gap
Between caregivers and patients
And sooner or latter
An outsider will recognize
Where you’ve been
And where you’re going
And what it all means
He will write an article
In a national newspaper
He will title it,
“The Face of Future Health Care”
(New York Times, March 20, 2013)
The article will quote your organization’s
Chief information officer, Philip Fasano
He  will say,
“We have all the pieces,
Anything a patient needs,
You get in the four walls of our offices”
The article will also quote,
George Halvorson,  CEO of  Kaiser Permanente,
He will sum it up simply,
“All of this adds up to better care and cheaper care.’
The future of health care
Sounds simple,
In retrospect.

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