Health Myths and Service-Dominant Logic

It has always been an inspiration for me to be exposed to Henry Mintzberg’s innovative and pragmatic ways of addressing a specific field. First it was organization theory, then strategy and now it is health care. I listened to him at the University of Salerno and read his article Managing the Myths of Health care (Henry Mintzberg 2012) finding that I agree with almost everything. I totally agree with him that the solutions of the past rarely solved anything but despite this, they are the same “panaceas,” such as reorganization, which are still suggested today. However, his expose raised some questions in my mind and touched on some of my own experiences and research. I have followed the healthcare sector since the 1970s. It started with my own health. For a period, my energy had been low and I felt it a strain to keep up. I went to the local general practitioner who sent me for some routine x-rays and prescribed a combination of vitamins. I did not feel any commitment from him and after two months, there still were no improvements. In the meantime, I had read about a doctor who had started a health spa based on fasting with vegetarian drinks free from chemicals and pesticides. It was specifically for people who did not find that their hospital had helped them. Not surprisingly, the majority were elderly, but not all. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with me, although in my 30s I felt like an elderly person and began to fear that my low energy might be chronic. The fasting week together with lectures, exercise and a relaxed atmosphere completely changed my perception of health and illness. Fasting is not a cure-all but, together with other therapies and gradual change of lifestyle, it can do wonders. It also led to an integration of the study of disorders and health cases with my knowledge of management and scientific methodology. It was a changing point in my life, and it was a point-of-no-return.