July 30, 2007

The New York Times ran a very good article yesterday on U.S. cancer care, which is generally excellent but also widely uneven.

Similar concerns can also be raised for other complex, chronic illnesses where it is important for patients to be treated by physicians who have lots of experience treating the disease and who are best equipped to produce better outcomes for patients. However, in our fragmented, third-party system, it can be very hard for "average" cancer patients to access the best care at places like M.D. Anderson or Memorial Sloan.

What can we do to improve the situation? Empower patients by letting them control more of their own health care spending, and deregulate health care providers, making it easier for doctors to form what Regina Herzlinger calls "focus factories".

Already, however, companies like Best Doctors are helping ordinary patients navigate the health care system and access the highest quality care. When companies and doctors are allowed to innovate - and there are many regulatory forces inhibiting health care innovation - the market can accomplish extraordinary things.

Posted by Paul Howard at July 30, 2007 12:00 PM

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