Journal on Policy and Complex Systems • Volume 5 , Number 2 • Fall 2019
The Validity of “ Cheap , Fast , Good : Pick Any Two ” in Evaluating Healthcare Systems
Abstract
Healthcare reform is attracting considerable attention worldwide , in large part due to improved technology and escalating costs . What is often absent from these discussions is a broad-based comparison of different systems using multiple measurements , or a broad explanation for their differences . This paper quantitatively compares healthcare systems based on their cost , speed , and quality , while utilizing an agent-based computer model to aid in understanding why differences may exist . One significant finding is that achieving an effective balance between cost , speed , and quality is difficult , and not common . Several countries performed well in two of the categories , but were deficient in the third . The other significant finding is that scale / size matter — as hard as it is to achieve a balance between all three attributes , it is significantly more difficult to do so in a larger market .
Keywords : Agent-based model ; Cheap , Fast , Good ; international healthcare systems
La Validez de “ Barato , Rápido , Bueno : Elija Dos ” En la Evaluación de los Sistemas de Salud
Resumen
La reforma sanitaria está atrayendo considerable atención en todo el mundo , en gran parte debido a la mejora de la tecnología y la escalada de costos . Lo que a menudo falta en estas discusiones es una comparación de base amplia de diferentes sistemas que utilizan múltiples mediciones , o una explicación amplia de sus diferen-
83 doi : 10.18278 / jpcs . 5.2.6