A Redefinition of Health and Healthcare

This team’s objective is twofold. First, serve as a trial project to test and further refine the Open4Definition Process. Second, create a barometer from which to extrapolate the value-added potential for behavioral definitions in a wide range of Open4Definition projects.

Healthcare represented 17 percent of U.S. GDP in 2008. Because of its intricacy, the breadth of medical specialties and the need to test the model this Examiner Team has focused their efforts not on one specific field but rather on definitions directly impacting four medical P’s - PRICING / PAYOR / PATIENT / PRODUCTIVITY.

The emerging selection of candidate definitions is impressive. Fifteen definitions have been targeted. They range from the creation of a 'made-to-stick-better' new definition for health (which is based on a sixty year old World Health Organization characterization) to an enhanced definition of the already highly successful secondhand smoke definition that incorporates third-hand smoke residue. In Case Studies see The Health and Healthcare Definition Team Report for more insight and detail. This team also decided to spinoff Occupational Licensing into a separate Project Team effort.