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All intractable problems follow the same pattern.
Cyril Northcote Parkinson described this pattern as the "Law of Triviality" in his 1958 book, "Parkinson's Law: The Pursuit of Progress."
The Law of Triviality grows out of an observation about how people apply themselves to problems that are out of their depth. Using the example of a committee—tasked with the designing a nuclear power plant—that instead spends the majority of its time discussing the design of the "bike shed" next to the plant, Parkinson highlights the human tendency to bow out of the big problems that seem intractable and focus, instead, on smaller problems that are solvable.
In our fractious political climate, it's easy—and seductive—to believe that the reason we are not solving big problems like healthcare, climate change, or immigation is that there are dark forces on both sides of the debate promoting malicious agendas and drawing all of us, inexorably, into some kind of global cataclysm.
"Hanlon's Razor" offers a simpler explanation than global conspiracy: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
I would propose that we merge these two insights into a single truth that would go something like this: "Never attribute to malice—or, even to stupidity—something that can be explained by the Law of Triviality."
#ValueBasedCare is the belief that behavior follows incentives, and that many of the problems with the our for-profit healthcare system can be solved by aligning physician incentives to the healthcare outcomes you want (healthy people living healthy lives with a minimum amount of expensive interventions) and not the behavior you don't.
And you really would have to be mad not to favor this.
All the same, Value-Based Care is, in one respect, just the same old #bikeshedding in a nice, clean pair of scrubs. While we want to align the incentives that physicians and healthcare organizations receive to reward the kind of choices we want to see (better outcomes and earlier intervenions) and penalize the kind of expensive and self-serving choices that we don't, I hope we also understand that physician choices are the bike shed, not the nuclear power plant, of #PopulationHealth.
The choices that physicians make pale in importance to the choices that individuals, companies, and governments do. Whether it's about diet and exercise, exposure to toxins, or the factors that lead to "food deserts," the problem we lack the will to solve is always the one that most needs solving: how does a free and democratic society agree to make better choices for all when the choices that we need to make are not always profitable, not always convenient, and often come dressed in circumstances that are unavailable to the poorest and most vulnerable?
"But we can only solve the problems we can control, and we can't control people!"
And, of course, that is true. It's a hard problem. But building a nuclear power plant is hard too.
Isn't it.
Excited to share my team's recent project: The Mindsets 2024 Report is now available! See the results of our national survey of 120 healthcare executives from organizations across the continuum of care. Included are key themes and insights on the current state of the industry and the biggest challenges and opportunities ahead. Download the report to learn more. https://bit.ly/3xfqYxt
Focusing on just one moment at at time to deliver memorable experiences for patients and care providers. That's the simple but transformative idea Doug Johnson and the team at NorthShore University HealthSystemEdward-Elmhurst Health are leaning into to deliver person-centered care for all.
Join us for a Humanizing Healthcare webinar to learn more and contribute to the discussion!
📅 When: Wednesday, December 6th
🕐 Time: 1:00 pm ET
Register here: https://lnkd.in/eRjEWgAS
Why Attend?
● Expert Insights: Hear firsthand from Doug Johnson about the innovative ways they are using special moments to memorably deliver person-centered care.
● Knowledge Enhancement: Stay abreast of the latest strategies and initiatives to enhance care patient experiences and care provider engagement.
● Empowerment: Equip yourself with the tools and knowledge to elevate staff engagement and patient outcomes in your organization.
Who Should Attend?
This webinar is designed for clinicians, healthcare quality executives and patient experience professionals who are dedicated to inspiring lasting care provider engagement and better quality outcomes for patients.
REGISTER NOW!
Confirm your attendance and be a part of the growing discussion about Humanizing Healthcare for all.
See you at the forefront of healthcare innovation!
