Into the new paradigm: writing the script for the future of health care

The world is changing dramatically, driven by changes in technology and global shifts beyond the control of anyone. The requisite of the leader will be to focus on the changes and translate them in ways that provide meaning and direction for the future. Critical to this process is the ability to embrace the emerging reality and to apply its principles to the delivery of health services. The rules that once applied to our thinking and acting in health-service provision no longer apply. The job of leadership is to understand the meaning of the changes and to build appropriate responses to them. Whatever the response, it will fundamentally alter the way in which we see health-care delivery and how we provide services for the immediate future. The notion of value and its application to the changing health system is central to the change activities and provides the context for any and all changes in the way health service is conceived and provided for in the foreseeable future.