The intensity of concern about health care is increasing as critical dates for the Affordable Care Act are upon us (e.g., October 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014).
It sometimes reminds me of battle preparation when I was in the Army. We used the 9 Principles of War to analyze past engagements and plan future endeavors. I wrote about using them in health care in a previous post on September 20, 2010. Learning from the Military
You patients and physicians may be seeing and hearing more and more about Direct Primary Care, maybe even from my blog posts. How might DPC survive to give patients and physicians another choice? I like the term sustainable differentiation. Which says to me, "stay different over time in a meaningful way."
Since survival with any new business model will be like fighting a business war, I would refer to the Nine Principles of War mentioned in the Learning from the Military post mentioned above. Two principles stand out initially for patients and physicians: Offensive and Surprise.
Offensive: Seize the initiative for DPC. Celebrate it's inclusion in the Affordable Care Act as one of the Exchange models (although definitions for qualification/ Federal certification as a DPC aren't yet finalized). That gets increased awareness, acceptance and legitimacy, both for patients and policy makers. Boldly announce your intentions.
Deliver (or participate in) DPC in a pure or hybrid model. Boldly celebrate as you notice what you like about it. (Maneuver a bit-see number 5).
Family Physicians:
Surprise: Yourself and your patients by doing it. Your community by public celebration and effective marketing, especially via social media. The "enemy" by boldly noting how DPC is different and will stay different. It's moving away from "The Beast".
Use more surprise by marketing through your Physician Hospital Alliance, if you're relating to a hospital system, to specialist offices, hospital employees and their referral service for patients. (How many patients without insurance call the PHA daily looking for a family physician only to find none? They will now find the DPC physicians. AND, the PHA staff will love you, as will the patients well served by DPC). Hugging "The Beast" (which we are actually mired in) may soften it a bit.
Security (number 7) is continually important- remember that enemies to Direct Primary Care abound.
Here is the list of the Nine Principles of War with the military definitions:
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
Review these principles from time to time (you may wish to "civilianize" them a bit) and revise your plans accordingly. Number 4 is another must for Family Physicians and patients. We don't have a lot of reserve power without each other.
How do you think the above principles might help Direct Primary Care to Survive by Sustainable Differentiation?
For More information about Direct Primary Care, visit www.dpcare.org and attend the Direct Primary Care National Summit in St Louis October 11-12 at the Airport Marriott.
Direct Primary Care National Summit
Business uses of the nine principles were nicely explored in a 1992 book titled Duty, Honor, Company: West Point Fundamentals for Business Success by
Gil and John Dorland, brothers who graduated from the US Military
Academy at West Point in the Viet Nam era. Military references to the
nine Principles of War include the Combat Leaders Field Guide, Department of the Army FM 22-100 Military Leadership and FM 100-5 Operations.
I'm not aware of any medical works about using the Principles of War.
We're ready for some applications of the Nine Principles of War to
health care.
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
- See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
- See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
Business uses of the nine principles were nicely explored in a 1992 book titled Duty, Honor, Company: West Point Fundamentals for Business Success by
Gil and John Dorland, brothers who graduated from the US Military
Academy at West Point in the Viet Nam era. Military references to the
nine Principles of War include the Combat Leaders Field Guide, Department of the Army FM 22-100 Military Leadership and FM 100-5 Operations.
I'm not aware of any medical works about using the Principles of War.
We're ready for some applications of the Nine Principles of War to
health care.
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
Imagine that the enemy is the H1N1 influenza. You might be able to recognize how each of the principles might - See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
Imagine that the enemy is the H1N1 influenza. You might be able to recognize how each of the principles might - See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
Business uses of the nine principles were nicely explored in a 1992 book titled Duty, Honor, Company: West Point Fundamentals for Business Success by
Gil and John Dorland, brothers who graduated from the US Military
Academy at West Point in the Viet Nam era. Military references to the
nine Principles of War include the Combat Leaders Field Guide, Department of the Army FM 22-100 Military Leadership and FM 100-5 Operations.
I'm not aware of any medical works about using the Principles of War.
We're ready for some applications of the Nine Principles of War to
health care.
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
Imagine that the enemy is the H1N1 influenza. You might be able to recognize how each of the principles might - See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
1. Objective: Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive , and attainable objective.
2. Offensive: Seize, retain and exploit the initiative.
3. Mass: Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time.
4. Economy of Force: Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.
5. Maneuver: Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power.
6. Unity of command: For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander.
7. Security: Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.
8. Surprise: Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which it is unprepared.
9. Simplicity: Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding.
Imagine that the enemy is the H1N1 influenza. You might be able to recognize how each of the principles might - See more at: http://drsynonymous.blogspot.com/2010/09/family-medicine-learning-from-military.html#sthash.0yx1bJXr.dpuf
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