The discussion on dramatic difference in the cost of high-quality health care in the developing countries and the developed nations usually stops at the fact that health professionals in developing countries earn less than a quarter of their counterparts in the more advanced nations.

However, this pay differential is just one of the many factors. On a closer look, there are several learning opportunities for Health care providers in the US.

1. Hub-and-Spoke Arrangement: World-class hospitals in urban centers can get steady stream of patients by having rural outposts that only provide diagnostics and primary care.

2. Innovative Use of Generalists and Specialists: Hiring high volume of providers who are keen learners, but without much experience makes for exciting careers at a low payroll cost. Niche specialists in the urban centers can offer world-class care even for rare medical conditions.

3. Challenging Who-Does-What: Doctors are often less proficient in routine tasks than nurses. Instead of being hamstrung by legacy processes which are established in a different context (and the level of technological advancement), providers should constantly challenge the status-quo to improve their efficiency , and even push for change in regulations where appropriate.

4. Cutting Waste: Focusing on the core tasks in health care delivery, while minimizing the expenses in other areas can lead to low-cost innovation in our health care systems. Read Full Post