Patients suffer from unrecognized anti-patient concepts embedded in healthcare process, structure, and training.
I started writing about emergency department process improvement but soon realized that we were attempting to change cherished concepts, not just process. Our success needed different concepts; thinking had to change first.
You will find posts keep coming back to these themes:
- Outstanding patient service needs providers focussed on serving patients instead of the system.
- Innovation and excellence grows on freedom, empowerment and inspiration.
- Over-regulation stifles progress and guarantees mediocrity at best.
- 1000 front-line physicians have more practical wisdom than 100 of the smartest central planners.
Politically, I support:
- Freedom
- Equal opportunity
- Voluntarism
- Helping others
- Localism – letting people closest to an issue make decisions wherever possible
- Division of power
- Human frailty
- The most important things in life are not things.
- Meaning transcends the material.
I currently practise in a small rural clinic. We’re part of a family health team with university affiliation. Before this, I worked in a large emergency department and served in leadership from 2008-2014. My past includes work as a coroner, in a vein clinic, doing nuclear cardiac stress testing, clinical trial and even surgical assisting.
My wife, Monica, and I parent Lara, Kate, Jonathan, and Emma on a small farm with only 2 dogs now. We gave our 2 horses (rescued) to the neighbours now that Lara and Kate are at University.
Thanks for visiting!
Shawn
I interact with providers from across Ontario and beyond. Similarity to you or your organization does not imply comments were made about you. Content is my own unless stated otherwise (e.g., guest post). Please tell me what you think, and how I can improve or correct mistakes.