Many thanks for all comments we received on our last Health Affairs post: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2015/05/18/notes-from-the-4th-forum-on-health-policy-and-management-in-berlin-germany/ – we were flattered that the information shared by the participants of the 4th Forum in Berlin triggered widespread discussion. Therefore, we would like to share what we have learned from you and how we will respond better to your needs in the future.
Many of you discussed our blog statement that the true test of an innovation’s value is whether the changes effect improvement and whether the plan of action is strategic and provides a reliable guide from condition A to improvement B.
While we are pleased that such a simple statement has hit the core of your concerns, we ask ourselves: Could it be that a majority of innovations moves evolution just sideways instead of forward, or that we rely on innovation by chance without a strategic plan, or (most likely) that even if we have a strategy nobody really cares about moving people and organizations from condition A to improvement B after they found the holy grail? This in turn means that following through with on-site implementation is the weak spot in our system because professionals leave the party once strategy has been drafted on paper.
Our genuine level of optimism tends to believe only in the best intentions, but what if parts of our conclusions are true? The CEO of one of Germany’s largest health funds recently mentioned to me that we all know what the problem is – diagnosis is done – but how to go about it – the treatment approach so to say – has been pondered for decades and not been resolved because nobody wants to roll up the sleeves and get his or her hands dirty. Instead we rave about the benefits of integrated care while discussions linger on brainstorming level and we applaud the status quo. “Please no more of these sessions,” he asked for my promise. We have to look beyond what we already know and find out what’s missing – in order to move from A to B.
How we process your input
In their most recent New York Times article on “How not to drown in numbers” Peysakhovich and Stephens-Davidowitz stated that the key question isn’t “What did I measure?” but “What did I miss?” Moving beyond platitudes of measuring to answering the question what actually drives the development of those measures is at the core of who we are and what we do. It requires “handholding” and handshaking – listening and sharing to unveil underlying phenomena as well as courage to take on the responsibility for a strategy that really works.
To make this happen we rely on our circle of engaged and dedicated global professionals who strive to find practical solutions for today’s complex healthcare challenges. Our commitment is not only to help you create a strategy to achieve your long-term goals, but also to follow through on-site in communicating your plan to providers and stakeholders. One size does not fit all! We think globally, but act locally and provide you with access to tools and approaches from other countries as needed.
How we share our output
The Center’s Global Institute now offers corporate memberships at different levels (platinum, gold, silver, bronze) that include a comprehensive set of benefits throughout the year. To inquire about corporate membership packages please contact us at info@centerforhealthcaremanagement.org. If you would like to gain access to the Center’s knowledge resources and archives only please join us as an individual member by registering in our member area.
Again, thanks for joining us in the past or the future. More on our 2016 Forum follows soon – stay tuned @HCMatColumbia!