If Disney Did Healthcare......

If Disney Did Healthcare: Part 2

HealthBlog — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:44:45 GMT

Last April I posted a piece on this Blog entitled " If Disney Did Healthcare ". I commented that there

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

richard smith — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:34:33 GMT

Trust in a Medical Setting.

Experience dealing with a host of difficult to impossible situations may help others in their encounters with these difficult and distrusting patients. These individuals may make up a small per cent of patients and family members, probably less than 2 per cent, but take up 90 per cent of energy in coping with day-to-day conflicts that arise from their behavior. Difficulties managing distrustful patients and family members must be dealt with on the spot, and they don’t go away.

Examples come from office experiences or wards, including situations that keep doctors and nurses and therapists awake at night, aggravate waking hours and poison leisure, that is, empirical, based upon experience and observation alone without science or theory. To survive an outrageous patient or relative requires resourcefulness, patience and imagination. Street wisdom learned the hard way is what I present, and without a guide or mentor to soften the bewilderment and sense of failure and frustration that accompanies these individuals. We seldom talk about these difficult, distrustful and sometimes threatening individuals amongst ourselves; rather we suffer and endure them silently, by ourselves. The problem is timeless as recorded in the world’s literature.

Out of the wreckage of human behavior comes valued experience leading to maneuvers and tactics of survival that are appropriate to almost all aspects and settings of human interaction including day-to-day medical care.

Links:

Trust in a Medical Setting. Hauppauge, NY: Novinka Books, Nova Science Publishers, 2006.

www.novapublishers.com

richardsmithmd.com

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

hlthblog — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:11:53 GMT

Kim,

Thanks for writing. While visiting the Disney Institute, one of the things that really impressed me was a culture that dictates that it is every employee's responsibility to maintain the company's high standards. A company VP took us on a behind-the-scenes tour of Walt Disney World. All along the way, he kept bending over to pick up small bits of litter. He would put them in is pocket or throw them into a trash bin. He talked about every employee as a cast member who had an important role to play. He clearly distinguished between behavior and expectations "on-stage" in view of the public, and "off-stage". Imagine if every person who worked in a hospital had the "patient experience" first in mind. What a different experience it would be.

Bill Crounse, MD Worldwide Health Director Microsoft

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

kim brett — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:54:16 GMT

I have wanted "Disney to do healthcare" since my first visit to WDW.

Whilst at WDW people acknowledged me, were courteous and answered all of my needs. When I returned to work (large teaching hospital) the contrast was instantaneous. No welcome, no acknowledgement. This is the experience of our patients and relatives. Sometimes on days when their life would never be the same again.

There are so many lessons we could and should learn from Disney.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts - its great to know there are like minded people around!

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

hlthblog — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:25:34 GMT

Thanks Jose. You're "right on the money". The patient must be at the center.

Bill Crounse, MD

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

Jose Martin — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:18:17 GMT

If Disney did Healthcare…

… we would see a diversity of specialty hospitals (or other focused delivery models) catering to different customer segments and/or particular customer needs.

… “patients” would become “customers”, which would drive a much needed change in the focus of activities of all healthcare participants.

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

hlthblog — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 19:22:55 GMT

Paul,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I frequently keynote at national and international healthcare industry conferences. During my keynotes, I often reflect on the special bond that I felt with my own family doctor as a kid growing up in a small town in the late 50's and 60's. Maybe it is just nostalgia, or maybe docs really were different in those days. No doubt, that experience had a lot to do with my own decision to become a family doctor. Although my career eventually took me in another direction, my heart is still with my colleagues and their noble profession. I really don't think the problem is with today's doctors as much as it is with a "system" that works against the physician-patient relationship.

Bill Crounse, MD Worldwide Health Director Microsoft

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

Paul Martin — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:57:42 GMT

You might say that at Disney we'd get genuine "holistic medicine." In my nearly 13 years of a rare progressive illness, not one provider, mainstream or alternative, has taken the time to get to know me as well as, say, the typical casual acquaintance at work.

In my experience, mainstream doctors didn't even pretend to try to get to know me. Alternative medicine providers typically did make a little small talk. But the last time I really experienced anything like holistic medicine was before anyone was talking about "holistic medicine:" as a kid in the 60s with our family doctor.

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

Maneesh — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:29:46 GMT

I agree. It's time for new innovations in healthcare. Not just in the use of IT - but thinking outside the box in other areas as well to deliver higher quality and higher value to "customers".

re: If Disney Did Healthcare......

hlthblog — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 00:58:15 GMT

Thanks for your comment. Actually, I am aware that Disney does (or consults on) healthcare. As the article you referenced points out, the result is a very good thing for patients and their families. Let's hope this is the start of a trend in American healthcare. One that's long over due.

Bill Crounse, MD