Problem
Often we focus on health care organizations from the perspective of product delivery - delivery of health care. One of the ways that we can enhance operational efficiencies is to leverage the evidence that is identified through business research to continuously improve processes and overcome barriers to care delivery.
Much research exists in the industrial and business worlds that provide knowledge to health care with regards to service delivery and change management. Health care organizations need to look to other industries for ideas and strategies that will help the dynamic health care environment gain efficiencies and cost effective care delivery models.
Many will agree that health care is about people, not widgets, and therefore some attention must be given to the personal nature of the product we deliver. That does not negate the valuable lessons we can learn from existing and future business research. For example, a research database related to population health becomes informative to a health care organization that is attempting to determine service lines needed in the community.
Can you think of some other business research that can be applied to health care?