Assume you head a health care organization that has 200,000 subscribers who purchased a policy from you. You have to decide on what heart attack treatment you will pay for. Specifically, you know the following:

When a person has a heart attack, anti-clotting drugs are used to dissolve a blood clot during the attack and thus to improve a patient's chance of surviving. The drug is administered only once and as quickly as possible. When no anti-clotting drugs are used, 12% of all victims will die within a month of the attack. One drug Streptokinase, reduces this mortality rate to 7.3%, and costs $300 per dose. Genetech sells a drug, tPa, which costs $2500 per dose and reduces the mortality rate to 6.3%. This is based on an FDA approved statistical study with a sample size of approximately 41,000. Both Streptokinase and tPa require just one dose.
This is based on a real-life problem. You can assume the numbers stated in this problem are correct.

 

1. Discuss the dollar value of a human life that use of these drugs implies. From the given numbers come up with a dollar value of life. Then discuss if it is ethical to put a dollar value on human life. Hint: Determine the costs and benefits of treating 1000 heart attacks for each of the three potential treatments: Do nothing, use Streptokinase, use tPA.

2) Are there any assumptions you need to make in making this decision? Discuss.

 

3) There is an important number that is missing that should influence your decision. What is it? Hint: Remember the 4 Random Variables: Needs, Arrival Rate, Loyalty and Profit you should always consider when evaluating a system.

 

4) Discuss at least two invisible numbers that you believe are relevant to this problem. Remember an invisible number is a number that describes a Force/Factor that you'd like to know something about but it is very difficult to measure.

 

5) What is your decision? No fence sitting; choose: no drug, streptokinase, or tPa. First reflect on the Next page; the rank in order of importance, the force that had the greatest impact on your decision. Forces: Values, Reasoning, Faith, Imagination, Emotion and Sensing. Explain why your top ranked Force achieved this status.

 

6) Assume that you are in a highly competitive situation. Activate your Relationship Thinking Room. Everything is Related to Everything Else. What are some possible positive or negative "ripple" or "wave" effects of your Decisions Made Road Taken?

 

7) Why should the concept: Needs are Infinite and Resources are Finite, influence your decision? Explain