THE ENTERPRISE
I was about to spend time poring through the archives of THE ENTERPRISE from 2+ years ago, when I realized that wasn't a productive way to spend the last day before my vacation. What I was looking for was THE ENTERPRISE edition where I predicted that one of these days, hopefully sooner rather than later, we'd go to Wal*Mart for our medical care. It's coming--soon.
I've been using its Vision Center and Optometrist for years, at a sizable discount to the others I used previously. They all do the same tests, using the same equipment--a fact confirmed by the Optometrist at my last home Wal*Mart in Knoxville, TN. When his practice was displaced by a highway expansion, he decided to use Wal*Mart's infrastructure and not bother to set up a new practice, hire people, advertise, etc. He said it was the best decision he ever made.
In today's Wall Street Journal there is a large article about Clinics being set up in retail stores--notably in (guess where) Wal*Marts and major drug chains. Staffing is with Nurse Practitioners, and there is a limited range of diagnosis and prescribing that can be done, but what a fine idea. Open more hours, convenient, get the prescription filled right there, and frankly, staffed almost as well as many "doc in a box" Urgent Care centers I've been to--IF dealing with the "routine" medical complaints that plague most people.
Now, if the medical industry will use IT to move into the 21st Century, permitting medical records on flash memory devices, portable from provider to provider and readable on all of the systems (may require a bit of government arm-twisting), this can save a huge amount of the current health care cost burden. Expand that to permit limited email interaction with doctors, as a preamble to coming in for a visit, and still more money can be saved.
Make no mistake, good doctors are scarce--and invaluable. They are wonderful resources and can sense nuances that no simple system will handle. But let's help thembe mnore productive, more effective in diagnosing, and use all the Artificial Intelligence available (like is done at Intermountain West Hospitals out in Salt Lake City). Let's equip them with PDAs to avoid misread handwritten prescriptions and unfortunate drug interactions, too. That will save both lives and money--big time.
For years, caring for your car at the Midases and Jiffy Lubes of the world took care of the routine stuff, and only when there was serious diagnosis needed, did the skilled (or) dealer mechanics and their diagnostic computers get involved...at near $100/hour. Why can't the same selective process be applied to Health Care. Answer--it can. It's coming. I hope it accelerates, because otherwise, between our aging population and the exorbitant, rising cost of health care, we will create an unnecessary fiscal crisis in the US.
Sure we need to fix Medicare. But how about fixing the front-end medical diagnosis, treatment and delivery system first. There is no doubt that sophisticated retailers know a lot about efficient processes. (Anyone who doesn't read FORTUNE missed some great articles in the Oct. 3, 2005 special feature on Katrina relief. one featured Home Depot's response to Katrina. The other was 'The Only Lifeline Was the Wal*Mart'. It told how Wal*Mart's response far exceeded any "public sector" response in both efficiency and humanity. Maybe big retailing and Wal*Mart in particular isn't the 'evil empire" after all--do you suppose?
We are on the threshold of a breakthrough--if only there is concerted effort to make it happen. Spread the word. Help where you can. It will be good for all of us.
Back to you in a few weeks...
Best, John
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