How to Turn Current Health Care Delivery “Disruption” Into Opportunities
// By Craig Allan Ahrens //
Craig Allan Ahrens, MHA, MBA
The health care field is in a state of constant disruption today, with mounting competition coming from many outside sectors. But the time is also ripe for health systems that understand the current marketplace to capitalize on growing opportunities to position themselves as leaders in offering enhanced convenience, increasing patient access, and creating more efficient care models.
Generally, health care has not been known for its innovation in how care is delivered, despite the recent activities by well-capitalized, venture funding health systems (e.g., Ascension). The historical regulatory, reimbursement, and general health care economic limitations have supported a parochial health care industry culture that has been resistant to change and is ripe for disruption.
As an industry, we are starting to witness significant investments by nontraditional players (e.g., private equity, venture capital, Amazon), the realization of technology’s promise (e.g., telemedicine), and nontraditional alliances (e.g., CVS Aetna, Davita Medical Group/Optum) that will disrupt markets where traditional health systems are not prepared.
Many strategic disruptions being employed seek to seize upon the idea of patients receiving radically convenient avenues for increased access and efficient care. They are centered around health care delivery disruption strategies.
The Opportunities: Health Care Delivery “Disruption” Trends — and Learning from Other Industries
There is a general perception that outside industry players underestimate the health care market complexities and overestimate their ability to disrupt health care delivery.