This piece is beautifully written by Dr. Donald Berwick, a former CMS administrator and one of the foremost voices in healthcare reform and quality. Here is a quote from the beginning. “In the mosaic floor of the opulent atrium of a house excavated at Pompeii is a slogan ironic for being buried under 16 feet of volcanic ash:
Let me make this clear. What I am describing here is not aimed at the many people who actually meet patients face to face and care for them. They are also victims of this system and do the best that they can in spite of it. This is aimed at the leaders and policy makers. I won't leave it at that. The next post will propose solutions
This is no big surprise to observers of healthcare. The big payers and also health systems have seemingly built moats around themselves. Honestly, we know that our investment in healthcare is a poor one with unpredictable outcomes. I’m most interested in the fact that various market forces are challenging the institutional players and many purchasers are embracing data, analytics and a motivated tactical mindset to purchase their services differently. This piece is accurate and depressing. I’m actually more optimistic relative to changes in healthcare than I’ve ever been before. The opportunity for competitive, optimized, warrantied health services in an open market is at hand. The incentive for purchasers to buy this way……is also finally here. We’ll see.
Let me make this clear. What I am describing here is not aimed at the many people who actually meet patients face to face and care for them. They are also victims of this system and do the best that they can in spite of it. This is aimed at the leaders and policy makers. I won't leave it at that. The next post will propose solutions
This is no big surprise to observers of healthcare. The big payers and also health systems have seemingly built moats around themselves. Honestly, we know that our investment in healthcare is a poor one with unpredictable outcomes. I’m most interested in the fact that various market forces are challenging the institutional players and many purchasers are embracing data, analytics and a motivated tactical mindset to purchase their services differently. This piece is accurate and depressing. I’m actually more optimistic relative to changes in healthcare than I’ve ever been before. The opportunity for competitive, optimized, warrantied health services in an open market is at hand. The incentive for purchasers to buy this way……is also finally here. We’ll see.
Thanks Jeff. Your comments always add to the conversation and I appreciate them