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September 20th, 2007 NEWSLETTER
Doug Wojcieszak, Founder & Spokesperson
Contact phone/e-mail address: 618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net
THIS WEEK'S EDITION:
- How do you define "error?"
- Outline of new Sorry Works! Book
- Sorry Works! presentations near you?
- Saying "sorry" leads to higher pay day?
HOW DO YOU DEFINE "ERROR?"
Last Saturday Sorry Works! spokesperson Doug Wojcieszak spoke at Sun Rise Hospital in Las Vegas, NV. This was Wojcieszak's third presentation at the hospital this year for their ethics training program. During the portion of the talk on what events warrant disclosure, a physician asked for a definition of an error. The doctor went onto say that if he looked through every chart in the hospital he could find an error (which is a little scary!). The physician wasn't being rude or smart...he was simply trying to get a handle on what events and what "errors" warrant disclosure. He was genuinely concerned that disclosing and saying "sorry" could be a full-time job for him and his colleagues. However, this is the wrong perspective on disclosure...the ultimate judge of an "error" is not the doctor, nurse, or hospital administration, but the patient and family. Providers must look at disclosure through the eyes of the patient and family. What do they want to know? What are they going to need to know? What information are they legally and ethically entitled to? When such information is withheld or not quickly supplied suspicion of a cover-up can quickly take hold in patients and families, which stokes anger and increases the chances of litigation. Providers must not get entangled in clincial and medical definitions of "error" and, in so doing, withold information from their patients and families...because they might be hit with a lawsuit even when there was no error!
Keep things simple, don't over complicate the situation, and always allow good customer service principles to guide your actions. This is why we say disclosure must occur when an error reaches the patient, even if harm did not occur. Disclosure is also warranted even if an error did not reach a patient but the patient/family suspect something is/was amiss. Again, the patient/family perspective is the most critical element in disclosure...never lose sight of this truism!
OUTLINE OF NEW SORRY WORKS! BOOK
Two weeks ago we announced that in mid-November the Sorry Works! book - THE book on disclosure and apology - will be released. The book is being written by Doug Wojcieszak of Sorry Works! and James W. Saxton and Maggie F. Finkelstein of Stevens & Lee.
This week we want to give you, our readers, a glimpse into the direction and content of the book by sharing our outline, which is directly below:
- Foreword by James W. Saxton, Esquire
- Preface by Doug Wojcieszak
- Chapter 1: Sorry Works! When It All Started
- Chapter 2: What "I'm Sorry" Is....and Is Not
- Chapter 3: Why It Works
- Chapter 4: Event Management: The Platform for Disclosure Programs
- Chapter 5: How to Implement a Sorry Works! Program In 5 Steps
- Chapter 6: How to Disclose and Apologize to Patients & Families
- Chapter 7: Do You Need a Law to Apologize?
- Chapter 8: This is a Job for Patients Too!
- Chapter 9: The Realized Benefits of Disclosure
- Brief Questions & Answers
- Closing Thoughts
- Sample Disclosure Policy
- CME Test
This book will be the "how to" manual on disclosure and apology. Everything you need to know from developing a policy and program to overcoming the typical fears and concerns about disclosure. However, we are going to limit the text to 100 pages, so it will be a quick, concise read for even the busiest healthcare professional. Also, the book will include a CME test.
The retail price per book is only $21.95, and bulk discounts are available too. To pre-order your copy of the Sorry Works! book today or inquire about bulk sales please contact Amy Matthias at ajm@stevenslee.com or call Doug Wojcieszak at 618-559-8168.
SORRY WORKS! PRESENTATIONS NEAR YOU?
Sorry Works! spokesperson Doug Wojcieszak will be speaking in the locations below over the next two months. We are hoping to schedule other talks at hospitals, insurers, and medical organizations while Doug is in the following areas:
- New York City, New York, November 14th
- Louisville, Kentucky, November 15th
- Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, December 12th
- Columbia, South Carolina, December 13th
For more information on a Sorry Works! presentation, contact doug@sorryworks.net or call 618-559-8168.
SAYING "SORRY" LEADS TO HIGHER PAY DAY?
For almost three years we've been preaching that saying "sorry" can lead to a reduction in lawsuits and associated litigation expenses. Well, according to the article below from Fortune Magazine apologizing can also lead to a higher paycheck. The benefits of Sorry Works! just never stop. Please share with colleagues and friends and be sure to post in the doctors' lounge.
For higher pay, learn to say you're sorry
Wednesday October 17, 2007
By Anne Fisher, FORTUNE senior writer
Market research can be full of surprises. Sometimes, in seeking to find out one thing, researchers turn up a whole different set of unexpected conclusions. Consider: A few months ago, online pearl merchants The Pearl Outlet (www.thepearloutlet.com) noticed that a growing number of customers, when asked the reason for their pearl purchases, replied that the baubles were given as an apology, usually to a wife or girlfriend. Intrigued, The Pearl Outlet hired pollsters Zogby International (www.zogby.com) to find out more. When Zogby's researchers queried 7,590 Americans, both male and female, they discovered that people who are more willing to say "I'm sorry" make more money than people who rarely or never apologize.
People earning over $100,000 a year are almost twice as likely to apologize after an argument or mistake as those earning $25,000 or less, the survey found. Respondents were asked to identify themselves as belonging to one of a set of income ranges. They were also asked whether they would apologize in three situations: when they felt they were entirely to blame for a problem; when they thought they were only partly at fault; and when they believed they were blameless.
In all three cases, "a person's willingness to apologize was an almost perfect predictor of their place on the income ladder," the study says.
More than nine out of ten (92%) of $100,000+ earners apologize when they believe they're to blame, compared to 89% of people earning between $75,000 and $100,000, 84% of those who make $50,000 to $75,000, 72% of those earning between $35,000 and $50,000, and 76$ of people earning between $25,000 and $35,000. Among survey respondents who make $25,000 or less, just 52% say they usually apologize when they know they're at fault.
And think about this: Even when they believe themselves to be completely blameless, 22% of the highest earners say "I'm sorry," compared to just 13% of those in the lowest income group.
Any statistician will tell you that so direct and consistent a correlation between behavior and income is extremely rare, but what does it mean? Should you practice groveling if you want to make more money? Well, no.
But saying "Oops, I'm sorry" now and then is an indicator of strong people skills, essential for moving up in almost any organization. The link between income and willingness to apologize "shows that successful people are willing to learn from their mistakes and are keen on mending troubled relationships," says British business coach Peter Shaw.
Terry Shepherd, president of The Pearl Outlet, has his own theory: "Maybe high earners apologize more because, as someone once said, it's easier to apologize afterward than to ask permission beforehand - and high earners tend to ask permission less."
Still another possible explanation, according to Marty Nemko, Ph.D., author of Cool Careers for Dummies (For Dummies, $19.99): "High earners tend to be more secure" and less likely to go on the defensive when challenged or criticized. "They realize when they're wrong and know it won't hurt their career much to apologize."
Indeed, taking the high road - acknowledging one's share of blame, or even accepting some blame when it isn't justified - is a trait shared by many great leaders, because it tends to build solidarity with the troops.
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