Harvard prof: Patient is the ping pong ball

Harvard Business School prof Michael Porter explained last week that the core issue with US healthcare is that it is not organized around the customer – i.e., the patient.   Instead, it is organized around specialties – like endocrinology, cardiology, opthamology, and the like.   The patient with a disease ping pongs between the various doctors she needs to see for her disease (like diabetes).  Ultimately, this increases both costs and wait times.    Gotta agree with that.   And in Canada, it takes so long to get in to see various specialists that the “ping-ponging” really prevents timely access to care.   Read the interview with Dr. Porter for more.

Tags: Canadian healthcare

Category: Canadian health care system