The New Yorker recently published an article by a Harvard surgeon in which he contended that the Cheesecake Factory restaurant chain provides a model for the future of healthcare. The author touted the efficiency and innovation of the restaurant chain as a way to improve quality and reduce costs. Unfortunately, despite the tenuous analogy between quality dining and quality healthcare, there is an unrelenting trend towards corporatization of healthcare, often with poor results.
The article reminded me of news, learned years ago, that the Cleveland Clinic was adopting principles developed by Toyota to improve efficiency in auto manufacturing. Despite its success and global expansion,