We all get desensitized to the details of our workplace. Get in the habit of noticing things!#MondayMotivation #PatientExperience #PtExp pic.twitter.com/oacbnNlofw
— Jake Poore (@jakepoore) June 26, 2017
What a great Monday Motivation fron Jake Poore. We’ve all seen what Jake is talking about. Once we get into our daily habits we stop noticing the details of the things around us.
Jake also mentioned Patient Experience in his tweet and becoming desensitized to the patient experience is a great example of what he’s talking about. I remember one CIO telling me that his enemy is the “we’ve always done it this way” culture at his hospital. Someone responding that way is the epitome of someone who has become desensitized to the world around them. Patients suffer when this becomes the modes operandi.
However, this principle goes well beyond just the way we see and interact with patients. It also happens in the way we interact with each other. An organization’s workflows and processes become such a part of their culture that it’s hard to disrupt them. We become desensitized to their weaknesses because they’re the devil we know. Adopting a new technology or a new process that will disrupt our normal processes causes us to wonder what new devils will we discover and do we want to deal with those? The fear of those unknown are often much stronger than the benefits new opportunities can offer us.
I’ve seen many organizations that have become desensitized to the follies of their EHR. Some are dealing with awful workflows and awful setups, but most have given up trying to change it. They no longer feel how awful they are in their lives. They’ve become desensitized to these pains and just consider them part of doing business. How awful is that to consider?
What can we do to overcome these challenges?
The best thing you can do is to get outside of your box and talk to other people. Meeting other people who have different experiences and perspective can reopen your eyes to the things you no longer see. This is why I think EHR user groups are so valuable. You can hear from other people who suffered through the challenges you’re facing and often even find a solution.
With that said, user groups can often be about commiseration as opposed to rectification and solutions. That’s why I think we need a place for true peer connection across EHR vendors. You’d think this would happen at a place like HIMSS, but it usually doesn’t. It’s so large that people flock together in their usual groups.
What do you do to make sure you don’t become desensitized?
