hange has become a staple of the healthcare system. It is omnipresent
in our discussions about healthcare: A Google search for “healthcare
change” yields more than 17 million results.
In the previous edition of this book, we made the observation that
healthcare has undergone major transformations as a result of advances in
technology, availability of information, and new forms of organizations and financing mechanisms. To this list we add the emerging impact of globalization
not just on healthcare but also on the healthcare workforce, greater awareness
of natural and man-made threats, and increased recognition of possible severe
labor shortages because of the aging of the population and aging of the
healthcare workforce.
An oft-repeated maxim is that “change creates opportunity.” In the
present healthcare environment, change inspires feelings of uncertainty. However, it does offer opportunities for honest people who seek solutions to
healthcare problems, some of which have little precedent in terms of type or
scope. This environment also creates opportunities for opportunists who, like
snake-oil salesmen of days past, tempt us with quick fixes. Some of these fixes
are merely repackaged and relabeled old strategies that are marketed effectively to a public desperate for new answers. Many of these fixes have little or
no empirical support, but they are strongly promoted by “heroes of management.” Simply turn your attention to the business section of any bookstore to
see the array of fixes for sale.