The healthcare system of today is dysfunctional. There are tens of millions of Americans uninsured. The variability in US healthcare is unacceptable. While on an average it may compare with Canada or European countries, the level is unacceptable considering the massive costs of healthcare and the rate at which it is increasing.
In addition, from a global perspective, in Third World countries, healthcare is at an atrocious level.
It is obvious that the system is not working both nationally in the US and internationally.
The healthcare industry is different from other industries. Generally, in the US, business opportunities are developed according to a "market pull" concept where the development and commercialization of a product is based on a customer need. In contrast, healthcare products are driven by the technology, often referred to as "technology push" . The rates of attrition of pharmaceutical agents is way higher than is considered acceptable for product development in other industries. The medical device industry also has higher levels of attrition. While the blame for this is usually put upon the high regulatory hurdles, it does not take into account the failure rate based upon factors such as lack of innovation and unsuccessful commercialization. This aspect of the healthcare industry is not often spoken of. This is why the age of the "blockbuster" pharmaceuticals cannot survive its present direction.
The problem begins and ends with the fact that there are no strategies in the healthcare industry. All marketed products are directed towards the physician. In addition, there is a strong impact of product reimbursement, payer formulairies, and prescribing practices by the doctors.
And with all of this, how often do you hear of the actual end user...............the patient..........the consumer?
This column will focus on my experiences with healthcare and the many factors that influence it. As someone who has worked in varoius aspects relating to healthcare for over 25 years, I have never had a problem getting out of bed and heading for work. The thought that my activities/actions can impact many lives is a great motivator. However, I have seen and continue to see tremendous waste, redundancies and actions that would not be tolerated in any other industry.
