Lynne Cunningham’s

Book Review

I just read a goodbook that I think should be added to your Leadership Library.

Book / The Future of Healthcare: Global Trends Worth Watching
Author / Andrew N. Garman, Tricia J. Johnson, Thomas C. Royer
Pillar of Excellence / All – this is a strategy book
Publisher’s Book Description / Rising healthcare costs. Increased mobility of patients and clinicians. An aging population. Staffing shortages. While the United States faces many unique healthcare challenges, we can learn from other countries successes in facing similar problems. As borders have blurred, the opportunities to benefit from innovations from other countries have increased, and health systems are looking to each other more and more for solutions.
This book draws on reliable, agenda-free sources to predict the impact of emerging global trends on the US healthcare system. It provides timely advice on how to proactively engage in and capitalize on globalization rather than react to it.
Discover what these trends could mean for your organization:
  • Digital health information
  • Patients traveling for value
  • Global cost competition
  • Rising healthcare costs
  • Establishing uniformity among practices and standards
  • Negotiating on value
  • Balancing primary and specialty care
  • Growing mobility of health professionals
The book concludes with a case study that illustrates how to incorporate global trends into your strategic planning process.
LC Review / Excellent food for thought as your healthcare provider organization looks to the future. A significant focus on globalization with an excellent case study from CHRISTUS Health.
Page / Lynne suggests that you pay special attention to some of these features in the book.
12+ / Phases of Innovation
  • Innovators
  • Early Adopters
  • Early Majority
  • Late Majority
  • Laggards
Key Factors Related to the Pace of Diffusion
  1. Can the innovation provide relative advantage? In other words, could adopting the innovation make a clear and visible difference to consumers?
  2. Is the innovation compatible with the organization considering adoption? In other words, does it appear to be congruent with the current values and needs of the people responsible for its adoption?
  3. Is the innovation relatively simple? Is adoption possible without major changes?
  4. Is the innovation trialable? Can it be pilot tested and adapted to local needs before a more substantial commitment is made?
  5. Are the innovation and its benefits readily observable? Can they be viewed or experienced by the people who would adopt them?

31+ / Important demand-related trends
affecting the healthcare delivery system in the U.S.
  1. The changing composition of the U.S. population
  2. Increasing experiences abroad
  3. Continued growth in “lifestyle” diseases
  4. Continued growth in medical technology
  5. Growing income inequalities

47+ / Opportunities for greater harmonization with the U.S. and among the U.S. and other countries
  • Price transparency
  • Quality and accreditation
  • Provider paymentincentives
  • Looking to other countries as a source of cost innovation

57+ / The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Other Countries
The term health technology assessment refers to the processes used to evaluate a broad range of new healthcare technologies, including procedures, drugs and medical devices.
Effectiveness: Scope, costs, relation to existing technologies
More spending does not necessarily mean better outcomes
69+ / Critical Elements in Futures Planning
  1. Environmental scan
  2. Reflective process
  3. Systematic use of results

Overall rating / Good.
Publisher and Year Published / The Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives / 2011
Price / $46.00 / Discounted at
Recommended by / The Publisher / Is book available as an audio book?

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