Fluidiso Metric

Why We in Healthcare Need to Innovate

Innovation, according to Wikipedia.com is the application of new solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulate needs, or national exam for surgical technologist certification existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services or technologies or business models.

In healthcare, we are often best at the introduction of innovative products (new drugs, adaptive devices) or technology (robotics, medication delivery systems, medical records). Healthcare is less prolific in the introduction of new services (adoption of evidenced based care, preventative services) and least attention is often paid to innovation in processes (improving billing, throughput in admissions, hiring) or business models (integrated cross continuum systems, different payment systems).

Innovation is closely linked to change. Many of us are adverse to change. We avoid change because we fear what is ahead, we avoid change because many feel it must mean they are doing something wrong, and some avoid change because they don’t know which way to go. In healthcare, there is so much externally applied change it often feels best just to plow ahead reacting to the things imposed on us.

This leaves us on the treadmill always battling to stay ahead and looking to costs to save us. Employee morale, poor quality and low levels of engagement exist as the status quo in healthcare.

Those who embrace innovation often gain significant advantage in their fields. According to R.C. Cooper and S.J. Edgett, in Lean, Rapid and Profitable New Product Development, top innovators across industries produce 5 times greater output with same investment, 12 times greater productivity, and 30% of current sales come from new products released within the last 3 years. Industryweek.com did a study about the effects of innovation on a company and they found that, overall revenue growth (78%), customer satisfaction (76%), growth in revenue from new products or services (74%), increased productivity (71%), and earnings/profit margins (68%) – were a result of the impact of innovation efforts.

The challenge is to provide access, quality, security and equity to health and health care in a cost effective. All the data that leads us to understand that innovation is one path to long term company or organizational sustainability. Why don’t more peruse it?

In our experience in healthcare, we know that it starts simply with a lack of knowledge of the value of health care innovation. Next there is poor understanding of the key components to innovation and finally the ability to implement and follow through with the innovation initiates as their time is taken up elsewhere.

The key components of innovation are setting the culture and having a structured process to identify the change and manage it.

Set a culture for innovation and do it consistently. Intentionally, develop this skill in all managers in the organization. Encourage “intelligent failure”. Manage projects in a way that will allow your employees to grow from them. Plan them carefully, keep them modest, (or of short duration or intensity), review routinely, and define your assumptions. Failure is crucial to the process of organizational learning and a key to growth and innovation. Failures show you where your assumptions are wrong. Failures demonstrate where you should not go in the immediate future. Failures open the door to insights that lead to your innovation. Learn the characteristics of what did and did not work. Find new eyes to look at the same process, and “fail fast”. Make sure you are not punishing those who try but fail IN ANY WAY. Even a disapproving glance will halt innovation in its tracks when it is first getting rolling.

Healthcare and Cultural Diversity

More than ever before healthcare professionals are subjected to dealing with a number of vast and various cultural diversities. As cultures within the U.S. continue to grow the understanding of how to deal with them must also grow. If cultural ncct differences are not communicated appropriately it can cause uncomfortable and confusing situations for both the healthcare provider and patient. This can cause the patient to suffer due to loss of trust and respect causing the patient to be less likely to follow a treatment plan. Culturally competent healthcare is considered a human right, and increasing numbers of culturally inappropriate lawsuits filed in court are being won. Some cultures, such as Ethiopian, Islam and Chinese have very different laws, views and beliefs about healthcare. Because there are so many differences there are many legal implications that could possibly arise from cultural ignorance in healthcare.

Ethiopian traditional belief is that health results from equilibrium between the body and the outside world and that illness arises from disequilibrium. Ethiopian culture also believes in the use of herbs and spices for medicinal purposes which can sometimes have adverse interactions with western medicine. For example, large amounts of garlic and ginger are used for the common cold which can act as an anti-coagulant in high doses. Cinnamon is also used for the common cold which increases stomach acid and may inhibit tetracycline (an antibiotic used for many bacterial infections). Basil is used for headaches and insect repellent which acts as an anti-coagulant and has hypoglycemic agents due to the oil extract increasing blood clotting time and synergistic interactions with insulin. Most studies show people of different cultures do not tell their physician about their traditional medicine use out of fear of being judged. One legal implication that can arise while treating an Ethiopian may be a physician treating for a bacterial infection with tetracycline unknowing that he or she is taking large amounts of cinnamon for a suspected oncoming cold. If the cinnamon interacts with the tetracycline the bacterial infection can spread causing further harm even potentially fatal harm resulting in a legal dispute.

The Islamic culture considers an illness as a punishment for their sins. Abortion and assisted suicide is not permitted. Pork and alcohol is forbidden and Muslim women can’t be touched by men who are not immediate family members. Muslims also fast from dusk to dawn for one month a year. Some legal issues that can arise may be a result of a physician prescribing insulin or heparin which contains pork ingredients to a practicing Muslim, or a cough syrup containing alcohol. A Muslim may not be aware that our western medicine contains these products. In addition, if a Muslim is fasting at a time of illness causing weakness and dehydration this can be seen as the physician not providing proper care, all possibly resulting in a legal dispute.

Some Chinese theories about health are based on the observed effects of Qi. They believe Qi defends the body from pathological factors, provides movement and supports growth and development. They believe things like poor diet, poor lifestyle or strenuous work can deplete one’s Qi. Yin and Yang is probably the most significant theory followed, it is the balance between opposites like cold vs. hot or excess vs. deficiency. The Chinese believe some bodily organs contain more Yin and others posses more Yang and will relate this to hot and cold with health complaints. For example one may complain of a “weak kidney” and insist their kidneys be tested when in reality they may be having back or knee pain or diarrhea. A “hot liver” is a common complaint which can refer to itchiness, skin eruptions or emotional stress. Medicine is also considered to have hot and cold effects. This makes it common for Chinese people to take less medication then prescribed to “balance” out the effects, and many would not tell their physician because they believe they are in the best position to judge their own health needs. So there could be a possibility of legal disputes if a liver complaint is made and the physician orders diagnostic tests and possible medication for the liver if in fact the complaint was made only due to emotional stress or itchiness. There can also be a possible legal dispute if the physician did not explain the importance of taking all of a prescription and the patient started taking less to balance their Yin and Yang and the medical issue persists or gets worse.

Chinese Embroidery

Embroidery as Chinese outstanding traditional handicraft, has a long history, born with the jade, pottery and fabrics. It is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with needle, thread or yarn. It also include other materials such as stickerei online shop beads, quills, pearls and sequins. In Chinese five thousand years of civilization, series human wisdom inventions, like the strings of precious stones, won praise around the world. Embroidery is in the forefront, which is based on the discovery and use of the “silk” and develop. It not only enrichs people’s material life, but also reflects a high level of spiritual development. According to the painting and embroidery unearthed from various ancient tombs, as far as the Yin and Zhou era about 3, 000 years ago, China already had beautiful silk and colorful embroidery. Currently embroidery found in Henan province from the Shang Dynasty, is Chinese earliest handicraft embroidery. The pattern are diamond pattern and angular wave pattern, whose process had reached a very high level.

This silk embroidery handicrafts, not only played an important role in Chinese society, but also in the international cultural life. To the Han Dynasty(221BC~AD220), embroidery had been developed to a higher level. It became major exporting commodities. In Qing Dynasty(AD1644~1911), the folk embroidery all had traditional flavor, forming the four famous embroidery, that is, the Su embroidery in Suzhou, Xiang embroidery in Hunan, Shu embroidery in Sichuan and Yue embroidery in Guangdong. Embroidery stitch has chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, cross stitch, etc. Embroidered flowers and birds are likely alive. After liberation, China uses oil paintings, Chinese paintings, photographs and other art forms in embroidery, reaching wonderful effect. Use of embroidery also further expand, from drama costume to everyday pillowslip, table cloth, screen, wall hanging, life clothing and so on. In addition, embroidery is traditional Chinese foreign trade products, and of high economic value.