The Mathematical Imperative for Platforms in Healthcare

Network mathematics explains the imperative for platforms in healthcare. There are only two ways to make connections in a network -- i.e., ways to connect the diverse nodes in a network. The first is through point-to-point connections. A simple diagram (below) provides an example of the math. Here there are six different participants in a healthcare network. If you rely on point-to-point interfaces – such as email, fax, phone, in-person contacts – there are 15 possible connection points to make. In a point-to-point network, as the number of nodes in a network increases linearly, the number of possible connection points increases exponentially. The connections between the nodes can represent potential communications, actions, or data transfers. You can also think of the connections as potential failure points in a network — where communications, actions, or data transfers should happen but don't. The other way to connect nodes – or people – in a network is through a network hub — a platform. The post The Mathematical Imperative for Platforms in Healthcare appeared first on The Healthcare Platform Blog.
Source: e-CareManagement - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Expertise in Platform Strategy & Business Models platforms healthcare networks platformstrategy Source Type: blogs