Insanity vs. Results in Healthcare Delivery

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As we embark on this new era of virtual care delivery, it is important to examine how we got here and why we are all working so diligently to transform healthcare into something better and more affordable than it is today.  And what better to honor that commitment to progress, then to remember the sage words of Albert Einstein:

 

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So you might be saying, huh?!  What we are doing IS different.  It’s video services, and apps, and secure messaging.  It’s way more efficient than it’s ever been.  While this may be true from one perspective, it is important to stand back and look at the bigger picture.

We have patient portals.  We have apps for diabetes, fertility, asthma and Parkinson’s. We have services for scheduling appointments and social media sites for peer support and discovery.  We have a whole constellation of apps and services – most in their own delivery and data silos.  Sounds a lot like the digital equivalent of our current health system of speciality physicians, clinics and hospitals.

So, we must ask ourselves are we doing the same thing over again? Are we simply shifting the “place” of care delivery, without addressing the root cause of the problem?

As your care delivery organization determines its virtual or digital care delivery strategy, it’s worth heeding the good Professor’s words.  Think beyond the disease or condition. Think beyond improving access to care.   Think beyond the app or service.  Remember to include a means to unify, individualize and connect your patients or members with their care support team in a meaningful way.  Consider strategies that build and reinforce good health behaviors on a daily basis, rather than simply making it easier to access care when you are sick.  Consider what tools, data and resources are required to facilitate that active collaboration and engagement, and who will need access to them – and when.

If we don’t change our behavior, how can expect a different result?

Posted in: Care Delivery, connected health, healthcare delivery, Hospitals, Patient Engagment, Personalization, Virtual Care


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