A Timex Healthcare System

By KIM BELLARD Those of us of a certain age remember the Timex slogan that bragged about its watches’ durability: “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”  A recent article about our military, of all things, made me wish we had a healthcare system that prized that kind of durability.  I can never resist analogies between the U.S. healthcare system and the U.S. military system.  They’re both huge, they’re both wildly expensive, they both rely on a combination of high tech and front-line people, and they both protect us from threats.  In some ways, both are the best in the world, and, in other ways, both have weaknesses that are embarrassing. And, as I wrote last year, both are often still fighting the wrong wars.  The article is by national security expert JC Herz on the Atlantic Council’s website: A plea to the Pentagon: Don’t sacrifice resilience on the altar of innovation.   Boy, that sure applies to healthcare too.  Ms. Herz notes how Americans love innovation, but: This mythos informs a narrative that what is valuable is The New—the upgrade to something bigger, badder, and sexier…What the United States needs to reinvigorate its defense base, compete with China, and win the global economy must be more innovation. Except the United States does not suffer from a lack of innovation; it suffers from a lack of resilience. That deserves some thought, especially to a healthcare system that h...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Policy Public Health health innovation Kim Bellard Source Type: blogs