The
model of Uber is a modern iteration of a guild model and in turn an example of
digital disruption influencing the supply of labour to the consumer. If this is
correct it has significant implications for care based professions as they will
have the opportunity to directly supply services to customers without have to
go through a third party employer. As to how these professions respond will
have significant implications for the supply of labour in the emerging Consumer
Directed Care market.
The Future of Labour
Markets: - In servicing the needs of our ageing population the
Australian Governments model of Consumer Directed Care advocates for funding to
follow the consumer regarding their care needs with its next iteration in
February 2017. The current complexity of accessing care often requires health
and wellbeing interventions for consumers to be brokered by third parties. Examples
are Hospitals, Aged Care and Primary Health Care Networks.
The
emerging market of consumer directed care in many cases is being addressing by
current providers increasing the sophistication of service delivery, often as
an extension of existing practice. In many cases these have a focus on the
person attending a service away from their residence, “point of service”. The
impact of this practice is demonstrated by the relationship between Labour
(people providing the service) attending a place where the service is provided
to the consumer such as an aged care facility. This changes when the policy
allows for the Service to be provided at point of need i.e. the home of
consumers and at their discretion as budget holder.
The intersection of the internet with government policy on Consumer Directed
Care is a fundamental shift away from point of service “in the factory” to
point of need such as the consumers home wherever that may be. The significance
of this change is professional associations can move back to a guild model as
supported by the internet where there is a direct relationship with the
customer and the provider at point of need.
Examples of first adapters are “Better
Caring”[1]
where the consumer through the internet can book a service with the individual
provider through a web portal similar to “Facebook”
Discussion:
- In
2004, Nobuyuki Idei, Chairman of Sony, stated; “Change is underway in the
business-technology world that will be remembered in time like the meteor that
hit the earth and killed all the dinosaurs”[2].
Professions, trades and their unions that represent their interests are not
immune to this rapidly changing world! A question is being put forward by
emerging markets to professional organizations. What is the essence of their
business?
- The knowledge it has acquired over generations and its relationship with its customer base or
- The organizations (Union) which has since the industrial revolution negotiated conditions and wages with a third party employer.
Whilst elements of the
existing paradigm of care will continue with recipients going to point of
service such as Hospitals and Aged Care, significant growth on care needs will
be at point of need as serviced through Consumer Directed Care. Consider the
following analogy; the existing operational framework of the profession is like
the Qantas airline which created Jetstar to taken advantage of another market
segment with minimal oncost to the parent company Qantas. A significant focus
of professions through their unions is on campaigning for wages and conditions
whilst taking into account with Consumer Directed Care the opportunity (unfolding
at a rapid rate) to orientate part of its role as a Guild. This would create a
direct association between the professional and patients/consumers through the
internet without have to negotiate with a third party employer.
Conclusion: Professions
have been more successful in Brand recognition than a number of competitors by
observing the economic rule;
Price + Quality = Value as perceived by the
customer based on confidence, built on trust.”[3]
Current market commentators are talking about the forthcoming “Digital
Disruption”[i]…it
is here and now. Early adaptors to digital disruption have been Uber[4]
with copycat followers emerging such as Better Caring, by establishing a market
brought about by the wide spread adoption of the personal computer and
internet. To what may seem a fundamental change in the market is rather a
variant of what previously existed. There is a saying: - “same same but
different” otherwise known as a return to the Guild model to complement the
current union role of care based professions. History will judge how existing
providers have adapted?
[i] Digital disruption refers to changes enabled by digital technologies that occur at a pace and magnitude that disrupt established ways of value creation, social interactions, doing business and more generally our thinking. Jun 5, 2013
Bio - Walter de Ruyter
comes to the aged care industry with background in health over the past 33
years. This has culminated in gaining experience across a range of vocational
disciplines in nursing, midwifery and anesthetics. This vocational experience
has been consolidated with a BHA from UNSW supporting his role as a health
manager across a number of portfolio’s. His interest has moved to the exciting
field of ageing as an Aged Care Services Manager within the South Eastern
Region of UnitingCare Ageing. The challenge is to enable services to be
responsive to a rapidly changing market through the intersection of Digital
Disruption and Policy.
No comments :
Post a Comment