Shawn Whatley, Author at shawn whatley md

Dreaming of Patient Appreciation Events in Public Healthcare

While waiting for a complementary movie to start at a huge patient appreciation event, I read a few pages of Andre Picard’s new book on Canadian healthcare: The Path to Healthcare Reform.

My kids’ orthodontic clinic puts on an annual patient appreciation event renting out an entire Cineplex centre showing 2 popular movies on 12 different screens. The clinic staff serve popcorn and drinks and host a Christmas food drive at the same time. A few thousand kids and family show up to enjoy the event.

Before the movie starts, the staff get up in front of each packed out theatre to tell everyone how much they appreciate being part of our lives. And they mean it!

Picard’s book provided a stark contrast and suggestions for change.

Patients in Publicly Funded Healthcare

Public systems see patients as costs, not customers. Many view them as entitled expenses in an inefficient, union dominated, government-run, tax-funded system. For many providers, life would be great if it wasn’t for all the patients.

Imagine the 200 providers of a large Canadian emergency department volunteering to host a patient appreciation event. Could you see them talking with patients:

“Thanks so much for coming to our department!”

“We are so honoured that you chose us to help out when you needed it.”

“We wanted to give back just a tiny bit of what you’ve given to us.”

“We know you could have gone elsewhere. Thanks for choosing us!”

“Because of you, we have great jobs!”

Pretty far fetched?

In Canada, we risk seeing patients as undeserving recipients of our altruism.

What needs to change? How can we put patients back at the centre of the system? (I’ll share my thoughts in the next post.)

(Photo credit: http://www.divinedentalworks.com/)

Physician Influence: Not Just What You Say, But How You Say It

Physicians spend years learning how to make an accurate diagnosis with speed and clarity. They take decades honing their ability to pronounce treatment. Patients expect this and go to their physicians for the experience.

But, system leaders do not ‘go to the doctor’ for diagnosis and treatment. A physical exam approach with other leaders creates resistance, not change.

We need something different.

It’s elementary, my dear Watson…

Modernism prized clear, logical, concrete thinking. Telling it like it is, being straight forward, and efficient with words used to be something to model.

Today, people know that the ‘right’ approach isn’t always right, and ‘terrible’ outcomes aren’t always terrible. We live more complex lives now; life isn’t so simple; authorities aren’t always right.

Influence is more than giving the right answer. Physicians often pronounce their ‘diagnosis and treatment’ for the healthcare system and wonder at the lack of engagement from their audience. At a large meeting of physicians recently, members wondered whether they should ever speak up having had bad reactions to their approach in the past.

Ideas are useless if they do not effect change. If we can’t figure out a way to apply our diagnosis and treatment so that the system improves, we waste time and frustrate others. Influence starts with relationship, shared objectives, respect, and a commitment to work together.

It’s not just what we say, but how we say it.

(photo credit: http://files-cdn.formspring.me/)

10 Commandments for Great Patient Flow

Follow these rules to improve patient flow, quality, and efficiency. We made most of the list in a recent ED meeting, but it applies anywhere patients present.

1. Add value for patients first, always, and without compromise.

2. Never make patients wait unless it adds value for them.

3. Triage means sorting, not primary nursing assessment (see 1 and 2 above).

4. Time is Quality for most care.

5. Nurses and physicians must pull in the same direction at the same speed: ED team = 2-horse chariot.

6. Professionals must do what they do best: RNs do RN work, not clerical work.

7. Remove or unload bottlenecks.

8. Always design parallel processes, not sequential.

9. Design for unlimited capacity; you cannot turn people away.

10. Patients need humanity with every encounter, especially when ‘there’s nothing wrong’.

Do you have any to add? Please share them in the comment section. Thanks!

(image credit: http://blog.cachinko.com/)