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September 22, 2008 NEWSLETTER
Doug Wojcieszak, Founder & Spokesperson
Contact phone/e-mail address: 618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net
THIS WEEK'S EDITION:
- Sorry Works! Editorial: Changing "We" to "I"
- Sorry Works! Book Marks Coming Soon - Pre-order Now
- Sorry Works! Editorial II: Telling the whole truth & transparency easier to do
- Sorry Works! Disclosure Training Part of 20-Hour, CME CAT 1 Course Taught Weekly at 31 Destination Resorts
SORRY WORKS! EDITORIAL: CHANGING "WE" TO "I"
Last week Sorry Works! Founder Doug Wojcieszak was asked to speak before the insured physicians of a large med-mal carrier on the East Coast. Joining him in the presentation was Dr. Michael Woods, M.D. Mike is a Sorry Works! board member, disclosure champion, and national speaker. As a practicing surgeon, Mike has a special and unique way of connecting with his colleagues on this important issue. As usual, he made many, many great points in his speech and was well-received by the audience - but one point really stuck out in our mind: Changing "We" to "I."
Mike said physicians when speaking with patients and families in both normal situation and an adverse event all too often say "We are doing this" and "We are doing that," etc, etc. This "We Speak" often makes family wonder who is "we" and what is "we" doing about the adverse event? Such word choices can heighten suspicions and increase anger unnecessarily.
Indeed, words matter - providers need to think about what they saying and how they are delivering words and messages to patients and families, especially patients and families who have been traumatized by an adverse event. This issue is another reason to develop a Sorry Works! program which will include training for providers on communication techniques and role playing.
Mike encouraged his colleagues to switch from "WE" to "I."
"I am in charge of your care."...."I am doing this for your loved one."
Patients and families in stressful situations want to feel like their doctor is in charge of the situation and they can turn to him/her at anytime with questions or problems. Taking control of a situation and showing leadership eliminates a key reason many med- mal lawsuits are initially filed: The feeling or perception the provider abandoned the patient/family.
We to I: It's just one more letter, but it can make all the difference in the world.
SORRY WORKS! BOOKMARKS WITH DISCLOSURE TIPS COMING SOON - PRE- ORDER NOW!
Disclosure is all about strengthening the physician patient relationship and making sure it (the relationship) transcends an adverse event. This means you must teach and remind staff, physicians, and hospitals on a continuous basis.
To help disclosure champions in hospitals, medical offices, and insurers everywhere, Sorry Works! is now proud to offer the Sorry Works! Bookmark with Disclosure Tips. These inexpensive, laminated cards provide a list of the Top 10 disclosure tips providers need to remember when working with patients and families. The bookmarks can be handed out to healthcare professionals and staff members throughout your organization. Of course, they can keep their bookmark in place in a text - like the Sorry Works! Book - but they can also carry the bookmarks in their lab coats or breast pockets for easy access when a reminder is needed. Indeed, these inexpensive yet durable cards serve as a constant reminder of the importance of disclosure while offering key points for providers who encounter an adverse event.
The bookmarks officially become available in early October, however, you can pre-order your bookmarks now by e-mailing doug@sorryworks.net or calling 618-559-8168.
Price Chart for Sorry Works! Bookmarks with Disclosure Tips:
- 59 cents per bookmark plus shipping (minimum order 10 units)
- 100 book marks: 47 cents per book mark
- 500 book marks: 34 cents per book mark
- 1,000 book marks: 25 cents per book mark
SORRY WORKS! EDITORIAL II: TELLING THE WHOLE TRUTH AND BEING TRANSPARENT MUCH EASIER
Prior to Dr. Woods and Doug Wojcieszak's speeches last week, a local attorney gave an excellent presentation on local statutes regarding protections for providers who disclose following adverse event. In this state - like many other states - certain protections are afforded if disclosure is done a certain way and in a certain time period. Every state is different, and some states offer no legal immunity or protections for statements offered during disclosure. Contact your local legal counsel for specifics.
The feeling is these so-called "apology immunity" laws can make providers feel more comfortable about disclosure and apology - which they can. However, they can also raise a lot of questions and confusion. Indeed, during the presentation many physicians in the audience asked questions about what was protected and what wasn't protected, what should and shouldn't they put in the chart, etc, etc. Lots of confusion and hard to imagine busy doctors can keep it all straight.
We at Sorry Works! hope the discussion around disclosure will - thanks to these presentations - evolve to a point where a majority of providers learn that any type of protection or immunity is really not to their benefit, including peer-review protections!
Nothing is more maddening to a patient/family to hear "You can't have that...you can't see that information." And nothing kills the credibility of a hospital/doctor quicker than any hint of a covering up or hiding information, no matter how well-intentioned (i.e, we need keep certain information confidential in order to have "robust" patient safety discussions. Doing full - and true - disclosure will produce the most "robust" patient safety discussions - ever.)
If you made a mistake, providing all the records, notes, etc will prove your offer of compensation is fair and just. If you didn't make a mistake, providing all the records, notes, etc will prove you are innocent. It's just as simple as that....as honesty is always the more simple, less stressful route!
SORRY WORKS! DISCLOSURE TRAINING PART OF 20-HOUR, CME CAT. 1 COURSE TAUGHT WEEKLY AT 31 DESTINATION RESORTS
Here's an unusual opportunity: Train on the Sorry Works! disclosure method, receive up to 20 hours of CME Category 1 Credit and do it all at your choice of 31 premier vacation destinations virtually any week you choose!
Sorry Works! Founder, Doug Wojcieszak, and Sorry Works! book co- author, James Saxton, Esq., are featured faculty in The 2008-9 Medical-Legal Update, a 20 hour exploration of pressing issues in Medical Malpractice, Risk Management, Practice Management, Healthcare Law and selected Clinical Topics produced and presented by national, ACCME-accredited CME sponsor, American Educational Institute. This 20 hour, Category 1 approved, studio produced course will be presented weekly in 31 sun and ski resort-based classrooms from October 6, 2008 through October 2, 2009 and Messrs. Wojcieszak and Saxton are the featured speakers for four hours of lecture.
Better still, AEI is offering Sorry Works! subscribers an exclusive $50 registration discount*. To take advantage of it simply register with AEI by phone from 8:00 a.m. until 6 p.m. EST at 800-354-3507 and mention Sorry Works!
*discount is applicable to standard registration only and may not be used in conjunction with any other discount.
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