Have you ever experienced unintended consequences in your efforts to improve healthcare quality? Is there a better way to find solutions to persistent problems? This episode applies the principles of Precision Medicine -- with its individualized, scientific approach -- to the field of healthcare improvement. Key Points: -Viper Reimbursement -Magic and distraction -The garden quality indicator References: -Bragg, Alistair (2022). Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Transcontinental Railroad, Cash for Ash, Cobra Problem. Reason. https://reason.com/video/2022/01/14/great-moments-in-uninten ..read more

This Patient Safety Week, I had the honor of sitting down with healthcare tech and e-iatrogenesis expert Benjamin Cooperman to discuss my toughest questions about digital harm, healthcare cybersecurity, and high reliability organizing (HRO) in the healthcare tech space. He has an extensive background in information technology and HRO consulting in the healthcare industry. This feature-length episode covers the human side of digital patient safety, discusses hospital closures related to healthcare cyberattacks, and shares practical tips on how to design highly reliable systems to protect our pa ..read more

This Healthcare Quality Week, I had the honor of sitting down with esteemed High Reliability Organizing (HRO) expert Craig Clapper to discuss my toughest questions about patient safety and quality improvement. He has a background in nuclear engineering and an emphasis in good humor, resulting in a conversation that was both compassionate and thought-provoking. This feature-length episode covers the human side of high reliability, the number of rodent hairs acceptable in a jar of peanut butter, and a practical approach to barriers in data collection and process adoption. Key Points: -Compassion ..read more

By 2034, the Baby Boomers will leave the workplace: We will have more demand for healthcare than the supply of workers. What can we do to manage this demographic cliff? Today's episode provides practical examples and workforce solutions for organizations of any size.  Key Points:  -Clinicians as alarms  -Demographic Brain Drain  -Shared Results and Opportunities    References:  -Riley, Robin. (Feb. 2018). “Remote System Uses Video, Algorithms to Monitor Baby’s Heart Rate and Breathing.” Photonics Media. https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Remote_System_Uses_Vi ..read more

Communication in healthcare can be a real challenge. Today's episode explores patient needs, the speaker-audience relationship, jargon, and misinformation in healthcare. Key Points: -Health education is tricky -Jargon is not patient-centered -Nuance and clarity References: -Leonard SA, Main EK, Scott KA, Profit J, Carmichael SL (2019). Racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity prevalence and trends. Ann Epidemiol, 2019 May(33), 30-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annmepidem.2019/02/007. -BILLY (2023). BILLY Info Page. www.trybilly.app. -Jaklevic, M. C. (July 27, 2023). ‘Medical ..read more

The topic of Artificial Intelligence and healthcare tech often prompts polarized responses across the industry. Will AI replace doctors? Will technology alleviate burnout, or worsen it? What do we need most in the development of healthcare innovation? Today's episode shares some cautionary tales as well as tips for success. Key Points: -Decision support -AI Gatekeepers -Smart Development References: -Jennings, Katie. (February 19, 2024). “An AI Doctor In A Box Coming To A Mall Near You.” Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2023/11/15/an-ai-doctor-in-a-box-coming-to-a-mall-near ..read more

Nearly 10 years ago, the goal of mandatory electronic documentation was to improve patient engagement, care coordination, research, disparity, and healthcare quality. As we look toward the next wave of requirements for interoperability, this episode reviews our progress toward these goals and shares recommendations for the future. Key Points: -Is digital better? -Vulnerable data -Patient ownership References: -Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) (May 2, 2023). Laws, Regulation, and Policy: Health IT Legislation. HealhIT.gov. https://www.healthit.gov/topi ..read more

Why do some patients prefer to spend $100 on imported frankincense oil than spend the same amount on a clinic visit? What can alternative medicine tell us about measuring patient satisfaction? Today's episode discusses these novel trends. Key Points: -Why essential oils? -Limits of patient satisfaction metrics -The patient's voice References: -“Vapor rub relieves cold symptoms for children, researchers find (2010). Penn State Medicine. https://www.psu.edu/news/medicine/story/vapor-rub-relieves-cold-symptoms-children-researchers-find/ -Fortune Business Insights (2024). Essential Oils Market Si ..read more

Why do healthcare professionals shy away from working in scenic rural areas, even when they are offered the comfort of broadband internet and affordable housing? Today's episode addresses the two reasons why doctors and nurses avoid rural health and how innovators around the world are solving those problems.  Key Points:  -The new Netropolis  -Rwanda's blood bank program  -Specialty café References: -Ingraham, Christopher (2019). If you lived here you’d be home by now: Why we traded the commuting life for a little house on the prairie. HarperCollins. -United States Census ..read more

What is the greatest risk to your organization and how can you tell? What does a "good" solution look like? Today's episode shares how to use a risk assessment to identify hot spots in your organization and innovate for the best solutions. Key Points: -Relative risk? -Scoring Risks -Discussing solutions References: -Fox, Andrea (May 31, 2023). Florida bans offshore health record storage. HealthcareITNews. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/florida-bans-offshore-health-record-storage-0. -McKeon, Jill (Feb. 10, 2023). HHS, FBI, CISA Warn of North Korean State-Sponsored Cyber Threat Actors T ..read more