He had me at “focus on the end-product” . . .

Today over 1,900 interdisciplinary clinicians, academics, informaticists, industry leaders, and more gathered in San Francisco for the AMIA key note address by David Blumenthal.  Sitting front and center . . . his opening statement emphasized our need to “focus on the end product” of this incredible opportunity that lies before us in healthcare.  Sounded something like my last blog entry “To achieve “Meaningful Use”:  Begin with the end in mind!” Without clear focus on the “end-product” or the “end in mind” we are doomed to waste a lot of time, resources, and efforts that we cannot afford to lose right now.  Dr. Blumenthal also stressed that this new world needs to be inclusive of physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and “whoever” provides services to patients (yeah!).  He stressed that the intention and efforts must be on the improvement of health and creating a learning healthcare system with much faster cycles of improvement. 

The other key point Blumenthal stressed was that the two most frequently used words:  “meaningful use”….is “not about a technology project” . . . but more of a “change management project”.  Last week in Chicago, the CPMRC International Consortium Summit dedicated a whole day to Foundations in Polarity Management™ in which groups uncovered the dilemmas we must manage as healthcare leaders in regards to technology innovations & practice innovations, framework-driven change & project/initiative driven change, individual & integrated competency, etc.  To achieve Meaningful Use we must see the whole and parts with their dynamic tensions as we move to true transformation to achieve a higher purpose.  The CPMRC learning healthcare community also worked together on leading the implementation science of healthcare transformation and advancement of interdisciplinary integration.  Collaborating and learning together are key to success and sustainability.  There are many collaborative groups here at AMIA as well such as NIWG and TIGER…with a commitment to stretch our thinking and actions in the new world.  These are opportunities of new dimensions and if we “focus on the end-product” it will be a fun, hard, challenging and rewarding ride.

Stay tuned . . .