In healthcare, is the human being an asset or liability?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare management
• Industrial engineering
• Risk management

Background:

• Industry utilizes preventive and predictive technologies for asset management.
• Healthcare faces ongoing discussions regarding the rationing of care.
• The concept of humans as 'assets' in society is explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To contrast the application of preventive and predictive technologies in industry versus healthcare.
• To explore whether proactive maintenance concepts applied to the human body yield benefits similar to those in industrial equipment.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of industrial preventive maintenance and healthcare practices.
• Perspective from an engineering professional consulting in healthcare risk management.

Main Results:

• Industrial preventive maintenance yields reliable operations, increased productivity, and lower life cycle costs.
• The article questions whether similar benefits can be achieved in healthcare by applying proactive concepts to human health.

Conclusions:

• Proactive, preventive strategies from industry may offer a new framework for healthcare management.
• Rethinking the treatment of human beings as assets could transform healthcare efficiency and outcomes.