Discussion on surgical report cards and flight schedules

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The chapter explores the phenomena of creaming in surgical report cards where doctors avoid high-risk surgeries to maintain success rates, negatively impacting patients, and how airlines pad flight schedules to avoid late arrival metrics.

Historian and author Jerry Muller of Catholic University talks about his latest book, The Tyranny of Metrics, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Muller argues that public policy and management are overly focused on measurable outcomes as a measure of success. This leads to organizations and agencies over-focusing on metrics rather than their broader mission. The conversation includes applications to education, crime, and health care.