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by Fred Lee, 2004, Second River Healthcare Press, 215 pp., $21.95. |
As the book title implies, author Fred Lee’s experience with Disney enterprises and with hospital administration provide for some interesting insights into leadership and management. While I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that a day in clinic is or ought to be a like carefree trip to Disneyland, Lee’s views blend ideas of business and profession in ways that could probably benefit a neurosurgical practice.
I suppose that for the readership of the AANS Bulletin this book should be called If Disney Ran Your Practice. With that thought in mind:
If Disney ran your practice…
…everyone in your office would begin to believe that they are being judged not so much against the standards set by their neurosurgical practices but against the standards set by the nicest people giving service anywhere.
…courtesy would become more important than efficiency. When efficiency is primary, the resulting internal focus leads to turf protection. Putting courtesy first results in an external focus that produces responsiveness and ultimately an overall efficiency.
…patient satisfaction would be measured in terms of caring, comfort and empathy. Most satisfaction surveys leave out compassion, but compassion is absolutely essential to people in times of stress, pain and grief.
…systems of measurement would be used to improve, rather than to impress. Regular staff meetings would focus on improving service, generating goodwill, solving problems and passing along compliments.
…everyone in your office would have the authority to say “yes.” Every employee should be empowered to make decisions spontaneously that solve problems and give good service immediately.
…the concept of work would change from service to theater. According to Fred Lee, “If all the world is a stage, then acting, allowing ourselves to be touched by the experience of others, is the means by which the world can become connected in understanding and love.” In this “play,” every person in healthcare has a calling.
…the motivating power of imagination would be harnessed into a valuable asset: a shared vision of serving the patient together.
…a climate of dissatisfaction with the status quo would be created. Motivated workers find pleasure in continuous improvement.
…rather than using monetary rewards to motivate people in a competitive manner, intrinsic rewards such as helping a patient through a difficult experience would be emphasized. Similarly, the primary rewards for a string quartet are how the music sounds and how it is perceived by the audience.
Lastly, if Disney ran your practice, he would create a culture of commitment, not compliance. Commitment means that everyone in your office takes ownership. Everyone must be willing to make self-sacrificing decisions every day for the good of the whole. I suppose there is at least one glaring difference between Disneyland and a neurosurgical practice. People go to Disneyland expecting to open their wallets. But perhaps if we ran our practices as Disney would, patients would even do that. There is not a neurosurgeon who would fail to learn something from this book.
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by Cole A. Giller, 2004, LifeLine Press, 266 pp., $16.95 |
What a pleasant surprise this book is. A neurosurgeon has written a book for patients on how to make informed decisions. It is practical, useful and comprehensive, and written in approachable, understandable prose.
Dr. Giller breaks it all down into six practical steps: (1) identification of your options; (2) identification of trade-offs; (3) discovery of data; (4) interpretation of numbers; (5) gathering your beliefs; and (6) contemplation of meaning.
The chapter on the use of data alone makes purchase of this book worthwhile. It’s the best summary for use in getting medical data on the Internet that I have seen. I also especially liked Dr. Giller’s treatment of the “contemplation of meaning” step. Our patients don’t all think the way we do or even the way we would like to have them think. For every step in the process, helpful examples are used to illustrate each part of the decision-making process.
Some readers may be shocked by the three “How to Use Your Doctors” chapters wherein Dr. Giller tells patients how to get the most out of their visits with their doctors. If patients would follow his advice, it would benefit both parties because patients would get so much more useful information and doctors could save valuable time.
I like this book, and I particularly appreciate the wonderfully humble approach this neurosurgeon has to his patients.
Gary Vander Ark, MD, is director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program at the University of Colorado. He is the 2001 recipient of the AANS Humanitarian Award.