This is a blog by a former CEO of a large Boston hospital to share thoughts about negotiation theory and practice, leadership training and mentoring, and teaching.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Opinion Leader
Editorial in today's Boston Globe. No further comment necessary.
While you are rightly proud of BI-DMC's actions, how do you reconcile the likelihood of others mis-using or misinterpreting performance improvement data?
First, I am not a doctor. The world is smart enough not to let me do that!
Second, it is not that I am totally proud of what we do. I think there is ample room for improvement. What I AM proud of is the attitude and apporach our people take to these matters. It is nondefensive, open, and inquisitive -- just what you would hope for in an academic institution.
Third, to your question. There is nothing I can do about misinterpretation except to try to explain and educate the public about what all this means.
I think making BIDMC's central line infection rates transparent is admirable and smart because secrecy never leads to improvement or customer confidence. What's the chance of BIDMC making days-to-first-appointment data available for your affiliated physicians (or least by department)? I believe you are collecting this information using "mystery shoppers" based on a Boston Globe article from a while back. It seems that this is another hospital performance metric extremely important to patient well-being and not all that difficult to improve.
Dr. Levy,
ReplyDeleteWhile you are rightly proud of BI-DMC's actions, how do you reconcile the likelihood of others mis-using or misinterpreting performance improvement data?
The State health commissioner's response is particularly amazing. What's he afraid of?
ReplyDeleteOh, and there's that V-word again. I dare not spell it out. (:
Dear Zagreus Ammon,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am not a doctor. The world is smart enough not to let me do that!
Second, it is not that I am totally proud of what we do. I think there is ample room for improvement. What I AM proud of is the attitude and apporach our people take to these matters. It is nondefensive, open, and inquisitive -- just what you would hope for in an academic institution.
Third, to your question. There is nothing I can do about misinterpretation except to try to explain and educate the public about what all this means.
Paul, you're the man. What else can I say?
ReplyDeleteOn a slightly related note, has BIDMC considered discouraging or banning neckties?
ReplyDeletePaul, thanks for the link to the article. You rock.
ReplyDeleteMJ
Anon 9:22. No.
ReplyDeleteI think making BIDMC's central line infection rates transparent is admirable and smart because secrecy never leads to improvement or customer confidence. What's the chance of BIDMC making days-to-first-appointment data available for your affiliated physicians (or least by department)? I believe you are collecting this information using "mystery shoppers" based on a Boston Globe article from a while back. It seems that this is another hospital performance metric extremely important to patient well-being and not all that difficult to improve.
ReplyDelete