Why Discovery Health is turning healthcare into a team sport
The team approach has a powerful effect on both the quality and efficiency of care
In a previous column, I mentioned that South Africans with medical aid are privileged to have access to one of the world’s best healthcare systems. At the same time, we know healthcare costs are high and rising, putting pressure on budgets. One of the key drivers of these rising costs is inefficiency and overuse of resources, often with limited clinical impact. If we look at the underlying reasons for inefficiency and overuse, one major cause is the fragmented structure of private healthcare. Simply put, general practitioners, specialists, hospitals and other providers work in silos — often alone or in small groups, with no formal relationship between them and the hospitals where they work. This impedes the flow of vital clinical information between health professionals, and leads to a fragmented care experience for patients and families. We can all attest to how stressful it is when someone close to us is in hospital. With no single professional coordinating treatment and many sp...
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