title: Integrate, innovate, imitate: surviving and thriving in the world of breast cancer economics.
abstract: The pursuit of excellence in the breast care delivery process involves a program of integration, innovation, and imitation designed to yield sustained quality and economic improvement. Many stand-alone breast centers in the United States have adopted this approach and have become financially successful while delivering very high quality care. This article reviews basic economic principles governing breast care as a business enterprise. It then provides recommendations for the development of world-class breast centers that can also deliver financially responsible care.
authors.affiliation: Breast Health Management, Inc., Bend, OR 97701, USA. jkolb@bendcable.com
authors.forename: Gerald R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Kolb
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000191:economics*; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D008327:Mammography / Q000191:economics; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D014481:United States