How Einstein's statement on mistakes applies to the medical profession

Einstein

The quote any man who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new, Albert Einstein captures the essence of why many services providers including those in the medical profession set for mediocrity over continually pushing themselves for excellence. The many errors in the healthcare services industry can be attributed to outmoded, often very expensive processes that have lost touch with patients' needs (Kumar, Steinebach, 444).

Analysis of the Quote

In a paradoxical sense, the more pressure on the healthcare industry to change in terms of quality of care, with the pressure equally applied across physicians to care providers and healthcare maintenance organizations (HMO) the greater the resistance to change (Kumar, Steinebach, 444). Mediocrity within the healthcare industry is actively protected as a result, making innovation and risk-taking for consumers seen not as a revenue or cost advantage, but a cost drain and risk to profitability (Wright, 205). The mistakes of physicians and doctors are tolerated because the healthcare industry knows that to fix the underlying processes causing the issues, the potential exists of profitability being adversely impacted.

(Haeusler, 13). Medical practice providers aren't making any mistakes, or very few, because they know if they try something new they could completely disrupt the value chains and business models they have developed over time (Wright, 205). Mediocre performance is easier to manage and predict the costs of relative to pushing the envelope of service over time and risking increased complications to transactions and healthcare reimbursements.

The lack of initiative and tolerance for risk in the healthcare industry is very low as a result. Malpractice insurance, costs of litigation and the high costs of maintaining healthcare insurance on the part of physicians also are strong catalysts that create resistance to change as well (Haeusler, 14).

The Einstein quote any man who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new also points out that medical mistakes made by doctors are more caused by a lack of pursuing new improvements in care. The lack of continually keeping current on new technologies and treatment programs is an issue as well, as the costs of retaining and certification are often discounted by many physicians -- doing only the minimum possible (Haeusler, 14). While certification and standards boards are often relied on for creating minimum levels of performance, the entire healthcare industry lacks a consistency of focus on who the real customer is. In surveys of HMOs the majority listed insurance companies as their primary customer, not patients (Kumar, Steinebach, 444). Combining the resistance to improve due to cost constraints and the lack of focus on patient satisfaction, the medical industry is fertile with opportunities for mediocre performance. The quote from Einstein rings true because the medical industry fights change, as it would mean a complete re-ordering of their business models.