I was part of the recent extended power outage in New England that resulted from a winter storm with a lot of freezing rain. When our service was restored after several days, my husband and I both commented on how dependent we have become on electricity, running water, phone service, and even our internet service. And yet, until this event, we rarely (if ever!) gave these conveniences a thought.
As I reflected on this, I began to see an analogy with the "basics" of quality. As quality professionals, we often find it easy to spot the defects in a product, the inefficiencies in a process, the poor experience in a customer service encounter. How often do we focus on the many, many things that go right each day in our personal and professional lives?
While I am glad that we are committed to continuous improvement and the pursuit of perfection, I might just take some time to look for those situations where the basic characteristics of quality are in place and give thanks for those. Happy Holidays!
Last week I attended the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Conference. They have announced their Triple Aim Initiative which is focused on better understanding new models that can improve the individual patient experience and the health of entire communities, at a reasonable per capita cost. Patient experience includes improved clinical outcomes, safety, and patient satisfaction.
John Kitzhaber, M.D. and former governor of Oregon presented a key note on Health Care for the 21st Century. As baby boomers age, unless changes are made, in 2025 Medicare is projected to consume 32% of all Federal income tax dollars.
The factors that most influence our health are Lifestyle and Behavior (40%), Human Biology (30%), Social (15%), Environmental (5%) with only 10% being Medical Care. So to improve our health there is lot under our individual control.
Prevention is better than the cure. So for me it is time to increase the exercise and lose some weight. Happy Holidays.
Posted by: Glenn Bodinson | December 19, 2008 8:43 AM