alt Hacker News> but then the added productivity is used to justify fewer on-staff nurses
Lower staffing levels per unit of care performed makes medical care cheaper for patients. If the goal of a healthcare system is to make healthcare more accessible (rather than be a jobs program), that's a success.
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Lowering prices or raising wages due to increased productivity is not a given, and often does not follow. There is more to pocket by shareholders though.
> makes medical care cheaper for patients
I think you misspelled “increases profit margins for hospitals” if you’re talking about US healthcare.
> Lower staffing levels per unit of care performed makes medical care cheaper for patients.
yeah yeah, sure sure
> Lower staffing levels per unit of care performed makes medical care cheaper for patients.
Based on how neoliberal capitalism tends to work it will simply lead to more profits for hospitals etc.
If, and that's a huge if, the savings are actually passed on to the customers rather than the capital owners.