Publications

November 2015
Article

Influence of Experience and the Surgical Learning Curve on Long-term Patient Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery

By: Bryan M. Burt, Andrew W. ElBardissi, Robert S. Huckman, Lawrence H. Cohn, Marisa W. Cevasco, James D. Rawn, Sary F. Aranki and John G. Byrne

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that increased post-graduate surgical experience correlates with improved operative efficiency and long-term survival in standard cardiac surgery procedures.

METHODS: Utilizing a prospectively collected retrospective database,... View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Value; Health Care and Treatment; Experience and Expertise; Health Industry

Research Summary

Overview

Chu's research is focused on business and low income sectors, particularly in the use of commercial platforms to deliver what has traditionally been considered public responsibilities. In the last three decades, business models have emerged to meet the underserved... View Details

Keywords: Impact Investing; Microfinance; Base Of The Pyramid; Role Of Profit And Social Impact; Private Sector Development; Emerging Markets; Business Ventures; Health Care and Treatment; Management; Social Enterprise; Strategy; Health Industry; Health Industry; Health Industry; Latin America; North and Central America; Asia; Africa

February 2010
Article

Input Constraints and the Efficiency of Entry: Lessons from Cardiac Surgery

By: David M. Cutler, Robert S. Huckman and Jonathan T. Kolstad

Prior studies suggest that, with elastically supplied inputs, free entry may lead to an inefficiently high number of firms in equilibrium. Under input scarcity, however, the welfare loss from free entry is reduced. Further, free entry may increase use of high-quality... View Details

Keywords: Government Legislation; Health Care and Treatment; Medical Specialties; Market Entry and Exit; Welfare; Health Industry; Pennsylvania

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February 1985
Background Note

Note on the Boston Area Teaching Hospitals

By: Joseph L. Bower

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Boston

January 1983 (Revised February 1988)
Case

Hospital Corp. of America (A)

By: W. Carl Kester

HCAs ratio of debt to total capital is approaching 70%, jeopardizing its single-A bond rating. Students must determine an appropriate target debt ratio for HCA in light of its growth objectives, its acquisition strategy and its changing regulatory environment. View Details

Keywords: Situation or Environment; Capital Structure; Health Care and Treatment; Borrowing and Debt; Health Industry; Tennessee

June 2014
Article

Informal Peer Interaction and Practice Type as Predictors of Physician Performance on Maintenance of Certification Examinations

By: Melissa A. Valentine, S. Barsade, Amy C. Edmondson, A. Gal and R. Rhodes

Context: Physicians can demonstrate mastery of the knowledge that supports continued clinical competence by passing a Maintenance of Certification exam. Exam performance depends on professional learning and development, which may be enhanced by informal routine... View Details

Keywords: Training; Health Care and Treatment; Performance; Social and Collaborative Networks; Learning; Health Industry

01 Dec 2000
News

Bottom-Line Beauty

cheap. If a product doesn't affect the customer, we don't care about it." Meanwhile, Bluemercury is reaping the benefits of Malcolm's thrift and savvy, with projected revenues of $8 million for 2000 and five new stores slated to open in... View Details

Keywords: Health and Personal Care Stores; Health and Personal Care Stores

Article

Drivers of the Variation in Prosthetic Implant Purchase Prices for Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasties

By: Derek A. Haas, Kevin J Bozic, Anthony M. DiGioia, Zirui Song and Robert S. Kaplan

Previous studies have documented wide variation in health-care spending and prices; however, the causes for the variation in supply purchase prices across providers are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the drivers of variation in... View Details

Keywords: Costing; Cost Variation; Total Knee Arthroplasty; Total Hip Arthroplasty; Prosthetic Implant Cost; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Management; Health Industry; Health Industry

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Article

Patterns of Failure after Involved Field Radiation Therapy for Pediatric and Young Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma

By: Minh-Phuong Huynh-Le, Amanda J. Walker, Scott Duke Kominers, Ido Paz-Priel, Moody D. Wharam and Stephanie A. Terezakis

Involved field radiation therapy (IFRT) is integral in curative therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), although primarily used in patients with intermediate/high‐risk HL. We present failure patterns and clinical outcomes in a cohort of pediatric and young adult patients... View Details

Keywords: Hematology/oncology; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Involved Field Radiation Therapy; Health Disorders; Health Care and Treatment

March 2015 (Revised February 2022)
Supplement

CV Ingenuity (B): Epilogue

By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Andrew Otazo

Duke Rohlen used a lea-nfunding, iconoclastic strategy for his start up for a drug eluding balloon for peripheral artery disease. His giant competitors were first movers. Did Duke obtain the funding he sought? How did his DEB fare versus that of his competitors? The... View Details

27 Jan 2015
First Look

First Look: January 27

health care providers have devoted significant efforts to improve performance regarding patient safety and quality of care. To address the lagging involvement of health View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

December 2006 (Revised August 2008)
Case

Pervasis Therapeutics, Inc.

By: Robert F. Higgins and Virginia Fuller

In May 2005, Steve Bollinger was about to become president and chief operating officer of Pervasis Therapeutics, a small cell therapy start-up in Cambridge, Mass. If proven successful, Pervasis' product, Vascugel, could change the way vascular disease is treated and... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Health Care and Treatment; Health Testing and Trials; Health Industry; Cambridge

July 2002 (Revised August 2002)
Case

Washington Hospital Center (C): Progress and Prospects, 1995-2001

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Michelle Heskett

Dr. Craig Feied and Dr. Mark Smith have already transformed a "worst-in-area" emergency medicine department into the best in the area. Industry-wide and hospital system-specific challenges remain, including their newest project of national importance--creating an... View Details

Keywords: History; Higher Education; Organizational Culture; Medical Specialties; Technological Innovation; Change Management; Nonprofit Organizations; Expansion; Crisis Management; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; District of Columbia

December 2018 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Instituto Dara: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Illness at Scale

By: Julie Battilana, Marissa Kimsey, Priscilla Zogbi and Johanna Mair

Dr. Vera Cordeiro founded the NGO Instituto Dara in 1991 to help poor families break the cycle of poverty and illness in Brazil. She and her team of employees and volunteers developed a holistic methodology to address the multidimensional sources of poverty based on... View Details

Keywords: Social Innovation; NGO; Scaling; Health; Social Enterprise; Social Entrepreneurship; Non-Governmental Organizations; Health Care and Treatment; Poverty; Health Industry; South America; Brazil

Web

Teams | New Venture Competition

care through entrepreneurship. Huddle Mariam Baqai (MBA 2024) Suleman KhanA platform for verified medical professionals to anonymously chat, ask, or vent. Lokale Farand Anugerah (MBA 2025) Addressing stunting, empowering community with... View Details

01 Dec 2005
News

Sterling Joins Healthcare Initiative

Cara Sterling has joined HBS as the founding director of the Healthcare Initiative, recently launched by former Dean Kim B. Clark and faculty chair Richard Hamermesh. The initiative seeks to create a community for students, faculty, and alumni who are interested in... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

24 Apr 2020
News

Spreading the Love

2015), a bioengineer and entrepreneur, and Emilio LaTorre, Lovepop’s head of supply chain. The team also collaborated with working groups at Partners Healthcare (which operates Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and other View Details

01 Jun 2018
News

The Long Run

persons from 1999 to 2016. Beyond the devastating personal costs, there is an economic toll, too, caused by rising health care expenses for overdose prevention drugs and addiction treatment, criminal justice... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; photographed by Melissa Golden

September–October 2013
Article

Learning from Customers: Individual and Organizational Effects in Outsourced Radiological Services

By: Jonathan R. Clark, Robert S. Huckman and Bradley R. Staats

The ongoing fragmentation of work has resulted in a narrowing of tasks into smaller pieces that can be sent outside the organization and, in many instances, around the world. This trend is shifting the boundaries of organizations and leading to increased outsourcing.... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Medical Specialties; Health Care and Treatment; Customer Focus and Relationships; Learning; Customer Satisfaction; Health Industry