Skin In The Game

Skin In The Game
John Hammergren with Phil Harkins
Wiley
ISBN: 9780470262788
Non-Fiction, Medicine, Technology
Reviewed by John R. Clark

I gave up on this book the first time I started reading it. Do not make the same mistake. I let my cynicism about the American healthcare system interfere with what is a thoughtful treatise on the current state of medical care and how to remedy it. John Hammergren and Phil Harkins have crafted a highly readable, thoughtful and detail rich analysis of what's wrong with our healthcare system and have come up with a fascinating, but very possible set of solutions.
Their analysis is clinical; it doesn't sensationalize or point fingers excessively, it simply details what isn't working and why. I found the comparison between McKesson filling thousands of orders using current off-the-shelf technology VS the archaic steps in a hospital pharmacy to be especially eye-opening. As one who owns a barcode scanner (purchased on eBay) so I can catalog books at home, I know first hand how far ahead of current medicine the rest of the professions are.
In addition to a thoughtful and exciting chapter on how to fix the system, the authors have compiled an extensive reference appendix as well as a list of web resources. This is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of their health care.