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Section 7.2Problem Solving

Incremental Creativity While most people think of creativity as generating entirely new ideas based on imagina- tion, there are several other ways to achieve it. Improving a product or service or a busi- ness function through incremental improvements on existing ideas is less dramatic than inventing something entirely new, but it is essential to organizational success. Applying organizational theorist Karl Weick’s (1984) small wins strategy, these modest improve- ments generate both momentum toward and confidence about achieving a larger desired goal. Kotter (1995) considers creating short-term wins as one of the essential steps in his organizational change model; recommending that aspiring change agents develop strate- gies to achieve small but visible performance improvements, while also recognizing and rewarding the employees responsible for achieving them.

Examples of this type of creativity in health care organizations include:

• Urgent care centers that allow people who need or want medical treatment right away for a condition that is not so serious that they need to go to a hospital emer- gency room. Originally disparaged as “doc-in-the-box” practices, today they are operated by hospitals and medical groups as a cost-effective alternative to crowded and expensive hospital emergency rooms.

• Hospitalists are physicians who oversee the care of patients while they are hospi- talized. Usually internal medicine or other primary care physicians, they coordi- nate with both the patient’s primary care physician and the different specialists who provide consultation or treatment, as well as with the nursing team, to ensure a smooth admission and discharge process and monitor follow-up care.

Theory in Action: Brilliant Health Ideas

Each year, Entrepreneur magazine publishes a list of 100 Brilliant Companies—10 businesses in 10 categories—that turn bright ideas into business solutions. Health was one of the 2012 categories in which many companies developed technology-fueled innovations. Topping the list was Tonic Health, a software company that devised a fun way for patients to provide their medical histories for an electronic medical record. Patients can complete the history using a computer, tablet, or smartphone—and are more likely to fully answer the questions than when using paper and pencil.

Other brilliant health companies and their products are listed in Table 7.1 (Wang, 2012). These companies and their products exemplify the principle of disruptive innovation, a theory developed by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen and applied to health care with Harvard colleagues in the schools of medicine and government. Disruptive innovation is a term to describe how industries are transformed by companies that provide products and services that are dramatically more accessible, convenient, and affordable for customers. In the health care sector disruptive innovation primarily involves (a) transferring skills from highly trained, expensive clinicians to more affordable providers, including technology-based care; and (b) site shifts from hospitals to outpatient, home, and virtual settings (Townsend, 2013). The products and services listed in Table 7.1 are just a few examples of disruptive health care innovations.

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Section 7.2Problem Solving

Theory in Action: Brilliant Health Ideas (continued)

Table 7.1: Entrepreneur magazine’s 2012 innovative health care business solutions awards

Company Name Website Product/service description

Ringadoc http://www.ringadoc.com Telecommunications soft- ware that connects patients to their physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; auto- mates after-hours answering service yet allows call triag- ing and personal response.

Foodzy https://foodzy.com Gamification for healthy eating. The app and website let users keep track of eating habits to reach a goal weight.

Lark Technologies http://www.lark.com Makers of a silent “un-alarm” clock, sold in Apple Stores, that uses a sleep sensor to monitor, analyze, and improve sleep habits.

Sickweather http://www.sickweather .com

Sifts through status updates on social media and posts illness trends to a map. Users can add symptoms to the site or search in their area for illnesses, down to the street level.

6dot Innovations http://www.6dot.com Portable device that makes embossed Braille adhesive labels to help the blind bet- ter maneuver in their own environments.

GTX Corp http://www.gtxcorp.com Shoe with a miniature GPS tracking device embedded in the heel for wandering Alzheimer’s patients.

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Section 7.3Problem-Solving Models

Company Name Website Product/service description

CareZone https://carezone.com Subscription service that provides caregivers with a secure online area to orga- nize information such as medical files and emergency contact information. A profile for each patient can be created and shared with relevant contacts.

Mobi http://www.mobilegs.com Mobilegs, ergonomic crutches designed for com- fort, greater stability and a reduced risk of secondary injuries.

WhichDoc http://www.crunchbase .com/company/whichdoc

This New York City start-up digitizes word-of-mouth rec- ommendations by tapping users’ social networks for doctor and dentist referrals.

Source: Wang, J. (2012, May 22). Tonic Health brings fun and games to boring health forms. Retrieved June 24, 2012, from Entrepreneur website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223613

Reflection Questions: 1. What type of health organization would each of these new products or services affect? 2. Do any of these new companies represent a threat to existing health care organizations?

Explain your answer. 3. How might health organizations partner with these new companies to provide better

care to their patients? Give specific examples.

Theory in Action: Brilliant Health Ideas (continued)

Table 7.1: Entrepreneur magazine’s 2012 innovative health care business solutions awards (continued)

7.3 Problem-Solving Models Since so much of a manager’s job involves solving problems, managers need to use a vari- ety of problem-solving approaches to function effectively. At the executive level, health care organization leaders are faced with wicked problems that often require considerable time and resources to resolve; information may be ambiguous or limited, and alternative

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