A lot of the healthcare trade journals have been printing stories
about innovation. You have probably heard me say that I am truly concerned that
disruptive innovation – something that will change how we use the healthcare
system – will come from outside of the healthcare market place.
Just an example, the iPhone we know today evolved from the work of 3 guys in their
garage – not
at IBM or Hewlett Packard. Those companies will never hold the place they did
in the marketplace before the disruption simply because they were not ahead of
the curve – they will always be playing catch up.
That is my worry for our hospital and for hospitals in
general. We are a trusted place for families – a facility they come to filled
with people they rely on. If technology evolves to a point where it can
provide the same care they came to us for, how can we ensure that we can
continue to be of value to our families?
I noticed something at the bank when I went to the ATM. I
now have the option to “save” my most common transaction on the main screen when
I log into the system so I don’t have to re-enter it every time. In addition, they
give me my card back before they give my money because people were
leaving their cards in the ATMs and causing a lot of risk, rework, and havoc.
These two small steps save me and the bank’s employees’ time
and energy, and honestly I greatly appreciate the change!
Now does it make me stay with this bank versus another? Probably
not, but I do appreciate the fact that I can see they are thinking about how to
improve the customer experience.
The Tablet Registration, the Patient Portal, and taking steps to
allow families to schedule their appointments online are all examples
of how we are doing this for our families. They are all ways to ease how patients and families interact with
us and ensure that if we aren't the place that develops this disruptive technology, we are actively working with our them to improve their experience as
well as provide great care for their children.
I still believe the best place for the disruption to come
from is from you. You on the front lines see and hear everything. Throw those
ideas out there and you never know what may happen!
