Why Customer-Centricity Doesn ’ t Matter As Much As You Think It Does

By JEREMY WALLMAN Customer centricity has been a mantra of managed care organizations for well over a decade. If you listen closely, you can hear plaintive cries of our care providers, lamenting the labyrinthine, almost Kafka-esque system of prior authorization, reimbursement, meaningful use, and near-real-time obsolescence of medical technology. The crushing weight of reform, the perverted incentives created by volume-based reimbursement, and the soaring costs of doing business have created a situation, much like in public education, where our system is fueled primarily by the power of a dedicated and passionate community whose members are motivated by their desire to care for other human beings. “How can we possibly think about self-service websites when we are holding back an imploding healthcare delivery system”. Maybe we need to ask a more basic question…..is the U.S. healthcare system viable in the long-term? That question might simply be too hard to answer. So instead, we try to convince ourselves that, like educating our citizens, delivering medical care should be treated as a business. Innovation and value are fueled by financial incentives and healthcare is no different. But it is different. It is very different. In some particularly competitive/ wealthy markets, Providers are offering differentiated services….delivery rooms with hotel-style amenities, upgraded menus, concierge services, etc., usually available for an extra charge. But these services...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs