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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000003815689 | RA410.53 H47 1997 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
What happens when the demanding consumers who nearly brought the U.S. automobile industry to its knees focus the same kinds of pressure on the industry that represents one-seventh of the U.S. economy--health care? The health organizations that combine quality, convenience, information, choices, and lower costs will be the winners in this revolution. Regina Herzlinger, chaired professor at the Harvard Business School, distills the facts from the noise surrounding the one industry whose measures of success are life and death. In a thoroughly readable, anecdotal style, she pinpoints the drivers of change--the savvy consumer, the cost-conscious payer, and the rapidly improving technology--that will revolutionize the American health-care system. This is a must-read for those in every corner of the immense health-care web. With its strong narrative style, this is a book that will be read and talked about by everyone concerned about the future of American health care.
Reviews 2
Booklist Review
Those who bemoan the growing impersonalization of today's health-care system will not be reassured by either of these books. Jennings and his fellow consultants speak of "purchasers of health care" instead of patients. Herzlinger describes an ideal hospital as a "health care focused factory." Yet, in both cases, the authors insist that market forces will ensure high-quality health care, and both of these books will be necessary acquisitions for any library wanting to keep up with the ongoing debate on the future of health care in the U.S. Herzlinger is a Harvard Business School professor with 20 years of experience doing research on, consulting for, and serving as a board member with health-care service organizations. Popularly written, her book firmly asserts her case that inconvenient and poorly managed health-care delivery systems cannot survive when consumers have choices. She argues that there is no difference between the lessons learned by America's big three automobile makers in winning back consumers and those that need to be understood by the health-care industry. She also offers and contrasts three management strategies for care providers: downsizing, upsizing, and resizing. Industry giant Andersen Consulting specializes in advising the health-care industry, and here Jennings, along with two Andersen colleagues, applies current managerial and organizational strategies and concepts to the field of health care. They argue that creating a continuous innovation stream, partnering, analyzing outcomes, emphasizing value-added processes, and focusing on key competencies will enable organizations to "deliver more value to consumers." --David Rouse
Library Journal Review
Herzlinger (Harvard Business Sch.) contends that improvements can be made to the American healthcare system by removing our current third-party payment system and allowing consumer demand to lead the healthcare market. Using eyewear as an example, Herzlinger shows how this consumer-driven market provides convenient, focused services with competitive prices. Most vision care services are not covered by medical insurance, forcing this sector of healthcare to respond to consumer demand. The author provides additional case studies, both within and outside the healthcare industry, that illustrate how team building, focusing on specific products and services, and prudent investments in technology can lead to convenient, cost-effective healthcare. While Herzlinger admits that abolishing the third-party payment system will present numerous difficulties, she includes suggestions for overcoming many of them. Written in a straightforward, readable style, this book is recommended for all libraries.Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
