In Appendix B of "Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for
the 21st Century" (2001), Paul Plsek wrote:
It is more helpful to think like a farmer than an engineer or
architect in designing a health care system. Engineers and architects
need to design every detail of a system. This approach is possible
because the responses of the component parts are mechanical and,
therefore, predictable. In contrast, the farmer knows that he or she
can do only so much. The farmer uses knowledge and evidence from past
experience, and desires an optimum crop. However, in the end, the
farmer simply creates the conditions under which a good crop is
possible. The outcome is an emergent property of the natural system
and cannot be predicted in detail.
Any thoughts on health care as simple, complicated or complex, the
current debate on HR 3200 and the above quote, emergent versus imposed
order and the future??
Russ #3
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