Accelerate clinical innovation with the OODA Loop

I was a guest on the Concept2Care podcast to talk about change management, designing care flows, enhancing provider experiences, and more. 

One key topic we discussed is the OODA Loop. Created by Air Force Colonel John Boyd, this framework is a powerful tool for making smart, quick decisions in chaotic situations. The OODA  Loop - Observe, Orient, Decide, Act - can be the difference between success and failure when designing and improving care flows.

Applying the OODA Loop to CareOps:

Observe
First, gather all relevant information. For designing a diabetes management care flow, start by investigating current clinical guidelines, collecting outcomes data, and interviewing team members and patients.

A common mistake is not deeply studying the specific patient population. For instance, Medicare tactics for oncology patients (fighting for life) differ from those for diabetes patients (managing a long-term condition). Understand what truly drives each group.

Orient
Next, align yourself with reality and see the world as it truly is, free from cognitive biases and shortcuts. Proper orientation means to recognize any barriers that might interfere with the other parts of the OODA Loop. Boyd identified four main barriers to objective information:

1. Cultural traditions: We often mistake culturally prescribed behaviors for universal truths.
2. Genetic heritage: Our inherent constraints influence our perceptions.
3. Analytical skills: Without developed thinking skills, we fall back on old habits.
4. New information: Constantly changing situations make it hard to interpret observations.

For our diabetes management example, orienting means connecting with the real-world situation. Ask critical questions: Why are we doing things this way? Are there organizational structures slowing us down, and why? Do we have the right technical tools, like proper APIs, to support innovation? Are there cultural or team dynamics blocking progress? What psychological factors might influence patient behavior?

‍Decide

With a clear picture from the previous steps, make swift, informed decisions. The OODA Loop is all about speed. No more waiting for months. Use your observations and orientation to formulate hypotheses and choose the best option.

Act
This is where you test your decisions, uncover flaws, and learn from them. It's okay to be wrong – that's the point of the loop. The results will show if your choice was right, feeding back into the observation phase. For example, you might start with text messages for patient engagement. If the response is low, switch to emails. This cycle of action and learning fuels continuous improvement.

Simple next steps

1. Check out the full Concept2Care episode here. It’s packed with actionable insights on change management, designing care flows and more.
2. If you found it valuable, share it with your team and colleagues on Slack, email, or wherever you chat. 
3. Next time you face a decision, big or small, remember the OODA Loop. Don't skip a step.

Also, I know listening to my voice for over an hour is a lot to ask, so you don't need to take just my word for it. Here’s what others have to say:

• Dr. Paulius Mui (Director of Clinical Innovation, Next Level Medical): 
• Dr. Sara Pastoor (Head of Primary Care Advancemen, Elation Health): “ "Wow. Wow. Wow. You NAILED THIS. Few people understand this complex topic as deeply as you do, and you articulated those complexities effortlessly and in a secondary language. HOW."

Quick intro: we’re Thomas and Rik, building Awell - a low-code platform allowing care teams to design, implement and optimize care flows in days, not months. CareOps grew out of our years spent improving CareOps at innovative providers.