Do we really understand our process for determining the solution set critical to Health Care Reform?

By Mark Roeske

Health Care Reform…so what is it? What exactly is it designed to solve? Who is the real customer? What are the true problems that we are intending on remedying? It’s almost dizzying to hear the rhetoric regarding proposals, winning ‘something’ with an underlying/unspoken theme of ‘who’s side are you on’?

As with any organization, whether it be a business, charity, or even the doctor treating a patient – the root causes of the problem need to be understood – or the solution might be incorrect and the problem will continue. If the business, NPO, etc. and doctor understand the root cause of the problem – there’s a better chance of solving the problem.

There’s a chance here that we are running too fast at passing a bill that we might find hasn’t come close to solving the real issues/goals. Why not stop, understand the issues better, look to each of the players in health care (patients included) for an analysis of the problems – and potential solutions to solve those problems. The risk is our own ‘framing or view of the world – e.g. ‘Who am I, and how do I see the world (problems)’ For example, someone from inside the hospital will see things very differently than that of the patient, insurance company, government representative, R&D department of a Pharma company, etc. We may be tainted by our own view of things where we ‘don’t know what we don’t know. As a result, others/areas are ignored in the process. So, our analysis of the problem must be all encompassing and untainted by personal gain or ‘winning’ a position.

Our group has been formed to try to encompass the above – but we are all human beings, influenced by history, experience and personal motivations. So, we are attempting to filter out the emotions and potential distortions by utilizing a problem solving process that is fairly standard to the business world.

We currently have representation from many (but unfortunately not all) in the health care process – including the patient. We have had a number of meetings to get started on root cause issues – and are presently at a stage where we are combining the long list of problems into major groupings. There is current debate on the high level headings of these groupings – but for this writing – there is a proposal that they are the following: 1. Process, 2. General Care, 3. Social, 4. Payor system/Insurance, 5. Time, 6. Financial/Cost.

We look forward to vibrant discussions ahead – but are looking to the general public and significant players in the system for comments.