CHAPTER 6
BREAK THE SERVICE CEILING WITH SYSTEMATIC CUSTOMIZATION
This step had its roots in a visit to my doctor's office some years ago to find relief for a typical winter cold. My regular physician was out of the office, but her partner was able to deal with my sore throat and sniffles. Because I also have a medical history on file, namely high cholesterol and severe back pain from sport injuries, he was able to not only address the cold, but also consider my lifelong health needs. By looking at the top two pages of my chart, he realized that it had been a while since my last blood test, something that is important when taking statins for cholesterol. The time spent with the physician was less than five minutes, yet I was very satisfied with the service. That is when the light bulb went off in my head.
Whether right or wrong, under our current system, doctors need to see as many patients as they can. As a result, medical practices have become very efficient in leveraging the doctor's time. Nurses perform the initial intake, evaluate the vitals, and update records. After the visit with the doctor the office staff handles follow-up tasks, not the doctor.
The physician's office is not a great business inspiration in every way. But medical practices' patient management inspired me to develop what I call systematic customization—a potential breakthrough model for professional service and many small businesses.
After this doctor's visit, I set out to create our own medical-vitals ...
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