Fixing Healthcare
By Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick
Twitter: @drnic1
Host of Dr. Nick: The Incrementalist – #TheIncrementalist
On this episode I talked to Sachin Jain, MD, MBA, (@sacjai) President and CEO of the SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan that is focused on keeping seniors healthy and Independent. Sachin is a physician by training, but has had tours of duty in the federal government, pharma industry, managed care and care delivery and as a result has a unique and varied set of perspectives of health care delivery and especially discovering how slow healthcare has been to change. The interview was triggered by this article “Healthcare Holdups, Death-By-Pilot, And The Scourge Of Incrementalism” which tweaked my interest.
Hey @drnic1 have you seen this? Healthcare Holdups, Death-By-Pilot, And The Scourge Of Incrementalism via @forbes https://t.co/CwwAu0TU5X
— Roberta Mullin (@mssoftware) March 17, 2021
We both agree with the frustrating slow pace of change in healthcare that sees a lot of lip service but very little real and meaningful change. We do need the quantum leaps and big thinkers to make healthcare better and as Sachin pointed out COVID19 showed it is possible to remove barriers and obstacles when the pressure or need is there.
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But even with some compelling data to show the inequities in healthcare tied to race, geography and beyond, those factors continue to drive outcomes and health and the disparities remain, while organizations make statements they care and support the cause but much remains the same. As he said, like any good physician we start with a diagnosis, in this case by calling this out as it is, and then
empowering a new generation of leaders who feel comfortable speaking truth about what’s actually happening
Empowering Clinical Leaders
Listen in to hear Sachin discuss potential paths to real solution, and while there are no quick easy fixes to reorientation the medical system as he points out the answers do not lie in government and health policy, which while important won’t deliver the change. It requires everyone adapting to the change, focusing on the success where meaningful change has been delivered, not just talked about. For this to work, more power and decision making should come from the clinical teams who are trying to implement our existing knowledge into actual clinical practice.
Shoot for the stars, but start with small effective steps perhaps?
About the Show
For years Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick, has served as a voice on the impact of new technologies on healthcare, earning a reputation as a leading authority on where the future of medicine is going. Combining powers of observation and real world experience, Dr. Nick has seen many predictions come true and makes the case that innovations in healthcare can be accomplished incrementally, not just by moonshot events. Tune in to hear Dr. Nick: The Incrementalist and his guests discuss what the future of healthcare looks like, how we will get there, and what it will take to improve healthcare for all.
This article was originally published on the Dr. Nick – The Incrementalist blog and is republished here with permission.