Mapping in Ventures: Healthcare_Uncovered

Early in this process, we mapped the patient portion of health care.  Our maps conveyed and analyzed the relationships and context in and around the patient responsibility problem. (link to mapping report) We sought to find patterns in the system and looked for leverage points where we saw the most potential for impact.

Click the above map of linkages to view the report from the mapping phase of Healthcare Uncovered.

On December 8, 2007, we convened a group of key thought leaders at the Rockefeller Foundation offices for a Mapping Summit. Two days of meetings focused on creating a mapping - a shared representation - of the scope and impact of the patient portion of medical costs and on identifying points of leverage in the system that might open opportunities to mitigate negative impacts.

Many have ventured into the task of mapping the complexities of the American healthcare system and some have succeeded. Our goal in this mapping process was to seek ways to understand the causes and effects that surround the uncovered costs of healthcare.

By drawing maps we dug into the complexities around the issue, and made connections and intersections concrete.  While we were constantly reminded how complex the healthcare system is, we also started to gather components and play the ideas about how innovative approaches might mix together.

Reconfiguring ideas on a page, and revising maps through various rounds of conversation highlighted overarching themes, eventually leading us to the conclusion that the dominance of an insurance market in healthcare has left the cash market largely irrational and incomprehensible.