Improving Healthcare Operations
CenturyGoal Interviews
CenturyGoal Looks for Innovations that Challenge the Iron Triangle of Healthcare
What is the Iron Triangle?
The belief that these three priorities compete and improving one will be at the detriment of another
- Programs and policies aimed at improving ACCESS can be costly, and the same goes for QUALITY improvement initiatives
- Conversely, COST-REDUCTION efforts may come at the expense of quality or access
University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. William Kissick with four degrees from Yale formed the concept of the “Iron Triangle” that has been a staple in health management literature since it was first introduced in the 1994 book Medicine’s Dilemmas: Infinite Needs Versus Finite Resources. The framework conceptually explains the behavior of three quintessential aspects of health care: cost, quality, and access. The framework is characterized as “iron”, because it is typically challenging—if not impossible—to simultaneously achieve a low-cost, high-quality, open access health care system.

Interviews by CenturyGoal
Catapult Health is transforming the delivery of preventive and primary care through its VirtualCheckup™ and worksite checkup solutions. Both fully integrated digital offerings are available through employers and health plans nationwide.
Titan Intake gives you power over referrals through digitization, automation, communication, and data. Titan is used to capture 100% of incoming referrals, automatically extract critical information, close the loop with referring providers and patients, and make the best possible decisions for clinics.
Want to be Interviewed?
Do you know about a new healthcare innovation? CenturyGoal is seeking your creative solutions to address challenges in healthcare operations and administration. Share your innovative ideas by filling out the form below and help us make a difference in the healthcare industry!
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CENTURYGOAL'S MISSION:
The focus of CenturyGoal is on how Providers can streamline their operating functions to accomplish: reduced costs; better collections; and improved patient health. Moreover, how Payers can support this and benefit as well.
SOURCES:
- An iron triangle ROI model for health care
- Medicine’s dilemmas: infinite needs versus finite resources
- The cost-effectiveness of training US primary care physicians to conduct colorectal cancer screening in family medicine residency programs
- Measuring the Impact of Electronic Health Record Adoption on Charge Capture
- The effects of safety net hospital closures and conversions on patient travel distance to hospital services