Mea sententia

The wave of the future is bringing game-changing cultural shifts in patient awareness and expectations. These are paralleled (and fed) by paradigm changing technologies.  Clinicians and medical institutions will sink or swim depending on how well they ride these waves.

Those who choose the comfort of the familiar and predictable, who sit safely on the beach while they watch and wait, who allow others to build the future, these late adopters will ultimately be forced to enter the water. I predict they will never catch up, and will struggle merely to survive.

I found a wonderful article by Udkin, Dreger and Sousa, and have updated and adapted it. See below the fold…

I found a snippet in my Evernote file, sadly without anything citing a source. I have adapted it to fit my experience with Clinical Quality Improvement activities. I suspect it is broadly applicable…

Like most employees of large institutions, I am subject to a variety of ‘incentives’ that are designed to meet institutional needs, which may or may not be well aligned with my needs, to say nothing of the needs of my patients. 

Teaching in our local family practice residency is one of the most enjoyable parts of my week. When a colleague recently asked why I liked it so much, it took some reflection to answer.

Slow down, you move too fast.  It will all be over far too soon. 

I talked to a friend recently about a serious health experience. He had became ill suddenly and was hospitalized for six days. No one from his community came to visit. Only one person from work stopped by. No one called. He described being frightened by his illness and feeling vulnerable and alone in the hospital. He was devastated by what felt like abandonment in his time of crisis.

At a recent clinical staff meeting, a physician complained that the new requirement that clinicians enter all orders manually into the electronic record (CPOE) is slowing us down and causing errors. The IT and administrative staff were not the least sympathetic. Their message: it’s really not a big deal, it only takes an extra minute or two, and smart people like you should be able to master a simple skill like this.

Did you know that there is a whole branch of psychology devoted to the impact of interruptions and distractions on learning, memory, performance, productivity, and decision making?

It’s frustrating when they won’t let you be a playwright, but then complain when you become a critic.

Lisl was very good high school skier but seemed not to have the race results she was capable of and everyone expected.  

In practice, it was clear she had great technique and a good motor, and could stay at the front without difficulty. In races, however, she would set out looking fantastic but come in near the end of the pack, beaten by skiers with much less ability than she, and seemed happy with her race.  It never seemed to bother her.  In fact, she never complained and was always one of the happiest in the van on the way home.b