cardiac programs are beginning to dread.
They would have a formal mechanism for
uncovering troubling trends while simultaneously engendering altruism and collaboration
in their local healthcare community.
Obviously there would be many security and
basic workflow nuances to work through
before an online community like this could
exist, but it is nothing that couldn’t be accomplished if there were willing participants.
Perhaps I am naive. Maybe these novel ideas
are less practical and more whimsical. However, thinking through the financial benefits
inherent in a quality assurance based community such as I describe above brings these.
Almost all facilities perform quality and appropriateness case reviews. Some do these
internally, but more and more scrutiny is
being lobbed at these practices as inherent
biases are proving. Another option taken by
many facilities is to contract with an independent review group.
However, having a comprehensive, paid
third-party review every year could quickly
become too expensive to maintain. But doing altruistic reviews with neighboring facilities can help identify trends that potentially
need to be reversed. Feedback from the
neighboring facility can be used to determine whether a follow-up highly comprehensive case review should be conducted to
fully understand the nature of the issue.
By using relatively cheap reciprocating reviews with a partner institution as a mechanism to determine if a total facility review
should be conducted, a facility can better
target when and where to spend on large
paid reviews.
These are all, simply put, ideas. The core of
which revolves around the adoption of
online communities by healthcare professionals. And yes, I understand that the large
conference organizations provide online
learning areas of their website. I understand
that there are places online to go where you
can pay and learn from a deck of PowerPoint
slides or maybe a few videos. I understand
that online education in healthcare exists
and is growing in many ways.
What doesn’t exist, however, is a place
where healthcare professionals can go to
help each other. Where they can pursue the
ideals of collaboration and altruism so often
preached and so seldom practiced. A place
where technology facilitates our basic desire
to help each other and help the patient.
MANAGEMENT 101
A Series by Dan Scharbach,
Providence Health and Services
So, you have worked very hard for many
years, often much harder than other members of the team. You have raised your hand
and volunteered for those jobs that no one
else wants to do. And because this is “extra”
work, you have often had to complete these
jobs between cases or after hours. Maybe on
top of this you have taken a few management courses at the local college, or have
WE HEAR
YOU, JARED
The Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals
is launching many online efforts to provide
collaboration and the sharing of ideas between healthcare professionals like you.
Our new website has forums for members to
ask questions and share insights. We are
producing a regular blog that’ asks tough
questions to spark conversation. Our social
media channels aim to connect our members in more ways than ever.
Join the discussion!
gone full-out (in your spare time) and completed a management degree. You may have
made a deliberate effort to seek out and
apply for a manag