To commence our DISCOVER conference, we heard from Antony Hirst, a practising Physiotherapist since 1992 (and a lover of basketball) from Victoria, about what we can learn from the success of the NBA team Golden State Warriors and applying it into providing the best possible long-term outcomes for our clients.
In healthcare, the number one priority must always be achieving the greatest possible outcome for a client. At Move for Better Health, we take a forward-thinking approach to the healthcare industry and our practices, and we believe that there may be more optimal ways in which we can provide our care in comparison to industry norms. While many are adverse to change, it is often the only way forward, just ask the Golden State Warriors.
In 2010, the Golden State Warriors were underperforming and underselling. Having last won a championship in 1975 and not looking anywhere near one at the time, it came as a significant shock when Joe Lacob and a group of investors purchased the Golden State Warriors in 2010. Apart from the state of the team at the time, this purchase was particularly eyebrow raising as Joe Lacob and his team were tech heads from Silicon Valley. Despite their lack of a traditional basketball background, they had a vision, and they challenged and broke down preconceived barriers to achieve it.
They used statistical analysis to build a game plan around three point shooting, and invested heavily in unproven rookies Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson (now known infamously as the ‘splash brothers’) and built a team around them. This is not to mention them letting their previous coach go in order to hire Steve Kerr, who had no prior NBA coaching experience. However, his game model in his playing days was exactly what the team was looking to emulate and perfect. If you can’t see where this story is going; the Warriors have won four of the possible 12 championships since that point as of 2022, Curry has become one of the greatest NBA players in history, and the Warriors have redefined the game.
Well, the traditional model of treatment in healthcare is appointment to appointment with a loose structure and high level of ambiguity, when in reality, there are a lot of opportunities for conditions, particularly those that are chronic, to be treated through evidence based, structured programs.
This can provide the client with a clearer outline of what their treatment will entail, the duration of said treatment, and what it means for them and their goals. Here at Move for Better Health, we have started to adopt this practice across multiple disciplines.
For Physiotherapy, we have incorporated this into our Knee & Hip Arthritis program which is an evidence-based structured program specifically designed for Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis. AC Podiatry have treatment plans that are used regularly for a myriad of conditions, and iNform have some exciting things on the way in this field as well, to support and coach healthy lifestyle behaviours for our clients!
Overall, this presentation and discussion encouraged us to continue to think differently about how our treatments will look in the future for the best clinical outcomes for our clients, whether it be through treatment packages, memberships or other new ventures.
