It really is amazing that a decade after the "To Err is Human" report that major hospitals are still not adequately focused on safety and quality. A colleague today pointed out that 5 or 6 quality FTEs is the equivalent of the aerospace industry moving forward with no safety engineers. The complexity of patient safety issues both (as the old Catholics said about sin) the errors of omission as well as commission - is just as painful and deadly. They are all costly in terms of human capital and waste - and it is so extremely underreported.
How many hospitals are challenging the types, severity and outcomes of surgery?
How many hospitals are challenging the variation in Internal Medicine orders and outcomes?
How many hospitals challenge CT or MRI rates, Mammograms, biopsies and their outcomes in terms of longevity, quality of life and mordidity.
I would say that 1% are focused on the change that we need in healthcare outcomes, followup and choices; a larger percent on creating access to services, and an even larger percent on profitability of the system. To me that is not a sustainable change model.
How do we really incnetivize the change.
More importnatly will it come from the upstarts or the old guard....I am guessing like IBM, we will see the Microsoft, Apples and Facebooks lead the change that is needed. I don't think I like it but it is inevitable!
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