Design Groups
I'm going to be one of the facilitators of "design groups" at the Health Care Systems Design Intensive in Baltimore, Feb 2-5, 2009. The idea of design groups comes from the School for Designing a Society: a small group setting in which participants are invited to think big. As a starting point, each participant is asked to write a list of statements about which she or he would say: "While it is not the case, I desire it to be the case." In other words, the assignment is to write a list of statements that are currently false—which the writer wishes were true: statements of desire.
For the purposes of the Intensive, the theme of the statements will be about health care in some way. However, there may be different ideas about what is included in the category of health care ... and those differences offer the potential for frutiful discussion.
From this starting point of individual lists of desire statements, the group can go in a number of directions. For this intensive, which will be brief, we intend to go in the direction of offering several design tools and concepts that help clearer thinking. The state of health care systems (particularly in the US, whose system is ill-advisedly influential in many nations) is not only woefully inadequate, but also ill-understood and confusingly described. Such distinctions as health care cost vs health care spending are so confused that people become discouraged about the task of demanding health care as a right.
I hope the outcome of the design groups will be at least a clearer understanding of what's going in health care—some ideas and enthusiasm for coming up with ways of changing the system for the better.
—Mark Enslin
Comments
Healthcare Intensive
I have attended one of the Healthcare Intensives in the past several years and it was a wonderful experience. But my question is, what are YOU, the organizers and teachers DOING with these great ideas? They are ideas that have been around the table over and over again. Great ideas, now lets see some ACTION! LEADERS...LEAD!! Lets see the results of all these great ideas! Please, tell us what YOU as leaders are doing to make these changes happen besides great retreat/revival conferences! It seems the "little people" are the ones who go out and get it done but leaders have so much more power and influence. What's happening outside of the conferences to actually change policy and healthcare itself?
"People have ideas all the time. I've had millions of them. The hard part isn't having the idea, it's making it work."
I hope that this conference PRODUCES change, not just ideas.
My Response
Anonymous,
I was a part of Marks fantastic and enlightening Design Group. We did come up with all the things that we would like to see in health care. What I believe is that in order for anything to change those that wish to see the change must be their own leader and inspire everyone around them. I plan on taking all our ideas back and spread them with overwhelming enthusiasm and be an example for those around me. I feel that leaders are there to inspire us and support us but in order for true lasting change the so called "little people" MUST become leaders and provide the same inspiration and support to as many others as possible and let our ideas for a better healthcare system spread like a wild fire. So I say to you instead of asking what Mark and the other leaders are doing.... get up and do yourself as we all are that were at the intensive. I assure you if we all lead we will have many more followers!
Leadership
Just want you to know, I am making change every day! As one of the "little people" I just see the "big people" talking a lot. I commend the passion and desire but find myself getting impatient with how slow the change is. The dream of healthcare change has been going on for over 20 years!!! I think I have a reason to feel frustrated! No bashing meant here. Just hoping all the talk and passion really transform into action and change! The conference is an amazing time to get fired up and share ideas. I hope everyone goes home and puts all these wonderful ideas and plans to use! I'm just hoping the Gesundheit Free Hopsital is up and running in my lifetime! :)
Leadership
I completely understand your frustration and also want to see a national and global change in the very near future!! My opinion... because I have one and no one is here to shut me up and susan not timing my response lol:).... we need as many people on the front lines, organized and as passionate as we are to stand behind our "leaders" so that when the day comes and we march to washington and to the corporations and yell at the top of our lungs that things must change we will be heard from coast to coast. I believe that these intensives are inspiring others to go home and create a base network so that we can be heard. I am a mother so excuse the example... it takes every who in whoville to be heard to those that typically dont hear us.
Passionately,
Melissa
Design Statements for Health Care
Thanks for your thoughts, Mark. I wanted to add a few desires for health care system design that I am bringing to the health care system design conference next week:
I desire it to be the case that:
- When I have an persistent illness, my circle of care, including doctors, researchers, and friends, come toegther with me to discuss what the various modalities could do to address the problem. Spending 2-3 hours up front with the entire group saves incredible time, pain, and money for all involved.
- Basic tests - urine, blood, pregnancy, oxygen levels, etc - can be self performed at a variety of community spaces, such as beauty shops, schools, city hall, and the library.
See you soon!
-- Danielle Chynoweth
Health care teams providing continuity of care
I have found that building an interdisciplinary team of caregivers who communicate regularly greatly improves both how I feel as a patient and how the children and families I work with feel as well. By developing a care plan/wish list for what the patient wants, the team has a point of reference that is always changing as the patient changes, and the patient and family have a voice. With technology, specialists can communicate together re the care plan referring back to what a patient identifies as his/ her priorities.
Finally, an important part of the care team is to include community members and "family of choice." especially when someone is struggling with a serious illness. Friends, neighbors and community members can really make a diffetence if they are mobilized to ensure that some of the concrete needs for food etc.
are met. So often in health care, we expect our patients to have profound growing and learning experiences from illness, but this can only occur if they aren't preoccupied with meeting their immediate needs. To expect someone to cope with physical challenges when they can't feed their families is unrealistic. I have seen this work in rural communities and welcome other creative ways to perpetuate the concept.