tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post1130188925105331582..comments2024-03-26T00:25:34.026-04:00Comments on Not Running a Hospital: Status-Quo AnxietyPaul Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065446378970179507noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-43834989158159126222010-03-17T17:06:59.491-04:002010-03-17T17:06:59.491-04:00HuffPo has an interesting post with word clouds fo...HuffPo has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ari-melber/why-62-million-bleeding-h_b_500275.html" rel="nofollow">an interesting post</a> with word clouds for those who are for and against the proposed change.e-Patient Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10346452642450264511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-37119080304253047692010-03-17T07:47:17.549-04:002010-03-17T07:47:17.549-04:00Yo Paul, if you only say that much, you won't ...Yo Paul, if you only say that much, you won't get much click-through.:) Here's a synopsis:<br /><br />A brief but eye-opening <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2009/08/31/090831ta_talk_surowiecki" rel="nofollow">essay</a> from August 09 on psychological factors that mediate resistance to change. I love the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/images/2009/08/31/p233/090831_r18752_p233.jpg" rel="nofollow">illustration</a> on the article: an x-ray of some guy reveals that inside, the skeleton has turned away in a "you can't make me" pose.<br /><br />In addition to the <b>status quo bias</b> Paul wrote about (people in studies rate anything more highly if it's presented as the status quo), there's <b>the endowment effect:</b> experiments show that people who have something value it more highly than those who don't. Impact: people who have insurance value it highly, no matter how flawed. <br /><br />In our case, in 2008 only 29% rated US healthcare good or excellent, but by July as the debate flamed the number increased to 48%. Did the system change? Not at all - people simply rated it higher after being asked to change it. (The New Yorker article has deeper discussion and links to the polls.)<br /><br />Seems to me, fear-driven political arguments lead people to think with their reptilian brains, which may be good at vicious self-defense but aren't much in the Thoughtful Planning department.e-Patient Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10346452642450264511noreply@blogger.com