Patient Service – Doctors’ Income

Healthcare exists to help patients, right? Surely, nothing could be more important than patient service.

Actually, almost everything scores more prestige than patient care, service and experience.

• System savings 
• Accountability
• Public Health
• Team care
• Integration
• Efficiency 
• Sustainability 
• Transparency 
• Quality
• Integration
• Transfers of Care
• LEAN
• Quality Improvement
• Home care
• Social determinants of health
• Gender sensitivity
• etc, etc, etc

Patient care gets lost in a list of very-important-things. Patients might wonder, who, exactly, does the system serve?

The war between the Ontario Government and the Ontario Medical Association scored a seasonal victory for Premier Wynne. The Liberals used their biggest weapon and legislated cuts. But they have nothing left. They can’t run the system without doctors’ support. They cannot implement change. They cannot deliver outcomes. They have bigs hats but no cattle.

The Liberals will need help. They already asked for help to implement cuts. Soon, they will beg to negotiate, to forgive and forget. What will doctors do then?

Patient Service

Dr. Bob Bell, Deputy Minister of Health, advised a group of us in a leadership program. He said, as leaders, you will get into fights. In a fight, you need something solid. He said,

“As soon as possible, stake out the high-ground. Identify what cannot be argued and stake your flag in it. Own it.”

The OMA needs to stake a flag on patient service. As they consider a return to negotiations, they should frame everything in terms of patient service, excellent healthcare.

• How can we offer great access?
• How can we deliver great, individualized care?
• What can we do to foster innovation for patients?
• How can we attract as many of the smartest, hardest working students to sacrifice their youths to become doctors?

Great patient service requires outstanding providers. Aside from a few outstanding providers that work from a vow of poverty, stellar students have options. They do not have to become doctors. We need to attract the best to provide the best for patients. We need to reward hard work instead of publicly shaming doctors who pour out long hours providing care.

Outstanding patient service requires super smart doctors who are maximally motivated to sacrifice every other option in the interest of patient care. It requires aligned interests. To get the best, we need to treat them with respect, reward them generously and give them the freedom to work creatively to benefit patients.

Let’s hope the OMA does not get enamoured by the allure of being part of the in-crowd or a major stakeholder in system partnership. Doctors do well when they sacrifice themselves for patient service. Let’s hope the OMA does the same.

photo credit: chatamdailynews.ca