Innovation

Posted: September 9th, 2013

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Innovation

1.         In the healthcare sector, innovative approaches that are designing improved methods of healthcare delivery are constantly being adapted. Kaiser Permanente (KP) has made investments that will give way for dramatic cost reduction and high quality benefits faster than any other technological advancement. The innovation consultancy aims at improving the quality of service in healthcare. Kaiser Permanente offers a variety of programs and solutions that can be adapted in a free-health system. Kaiser Permanente is among the few enterprises that have taken up approaches towards innovation to innovate itself. With this system of innovation, it can apply control over all sections of care for the 8.6 million members it has.

Establishment of the Innovation Learning Network, an association of sixteen healthcare organizations, which meet on a regular basis and share their ideas, is helping such facilities improve their standards. This system can be used as a source of developing innovations to cater for patient needs. Sharing of information can also help the different health centers improve on their services as they learn from each other. Currently, the 16 organizations meet to contribute to each of their methods and ideas. They also share results of innovation within their organization. Consequently, the organizations learn new methodologies and advance their current systems.

Organizations may adopt this system to hasten the process of transfer of knowledge and skills among peers in the medical sector. KP has a project referred to as KP MedRite to lower cases of medication errors within KP hospitals. MedRite was also aimed at reducing costs arising from errors (McCreary, 3). The project has reduced costs of up to $ 965,000 in services that arise from medical inaccuracy. Advantages arising form the project include; satisfaction among employees, saving costs and patients treated have relative peace of mind. If more healthcare institutions adopt these methods, the benefits outweigh the costs involved.

However, improvements can be made to make the innovative system more effective. More projects can be established to reach patients and their needs. Cost control should not be the main aim of medical projects as it can lead to rationed health care. Supervision of teams within KP needs to be improved in order to make the system effective. Teams also need to work together and develop interpersonal skills that will progress a patient’s health. With the technological advancements, surveillance within systems is necessary to avoid corruption of documents or any other useful information.

2.         Disruptive innovations are unanticipated new offerings, which change a market and its head through quality upgrades or price improvements. Consequently, disruptive healthcare cause shifts in earlier technologies. Disruptive innovation targets to shape a new and advanced method. The method provides a range of health care techniques focusing on a patient’s individual needs instead of crises (Hyman). Financial concerns of doctors and hospitals that are the center of interest among hospitals within the current system have their implications. Routine sickness that has therapies with similar extreme and specialized costly care has little difference from requirements by complicated cases.

Technological advancements in health can be conveyed from experts to generalists. Nurses can receive them from generalists and forward to allied health professional who in turn reach patients personally. Transformative solutions in the health sector need to include disruptive innovations that can enforce technology. In the short term, disruptive innovations may be costly but long-term benefits outweigh these costs. New technologies always affect and threaten the status quo. Eventually, there is improvement in quality and expansion of capabilities. In the long-term, the cost of implementing these innovations is relatively lower.

Work Cited

Hyman, MA. “Disruptive Innovations in Healthcare: Expanding the Discourse on Quality and Value.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 13.4 (2007). Print.

McCreary, Lew. “Kaiser Permanente’s innovation on the front lines.” Harvard Business Review. September 2010. Print.