A few years ago we read a book by Fred Lee, “If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently.”  In reading the book we quickly realized our conviction in deploying M3-Patient Experience matched up with what Fred said in his book.  We contacted Fred, met him at the airport in Orlando for lunch and asked him to take a look at M3-Patient Experience.  After spending a considerable amount of time, this was his unsolicited comment:

“I liked all the questions in your survey and could honestly not think of anything I felt was not covered. It is really an electronic work of art. You are to be highly commended. I can recommend it highly, and you can quote me on that!”

With that I would like to share with you some of the points Fred makes in his book, as well in presentations he makes to healthcare operations around the country.

Focus on What Can’t be Measured.  When we focus on the perceptions of the patient the efficiencies will follow.  In other words, when we treat the patient with compassion, we will meet the patients’ needs efficiently and effectively.  Every patient is different, compassion helps you focus on the need of every patient. 

Make Courtesy More Important than Efficiency.  By first being courteous to the patient, which creates an external focus (focusing on the patient’s need), bringing responsiveness to the patient’s need, which promotes sharing of resources, and ultimately results in overall organizational efficiency and teamwork; creating a memorable experience for the patient.

Measure to Improve, Not to Impress.  When we measure the patient’s experience with the focus on improvement, understanding each patient is different, we continuously find ways to get better.  If we are merely measuring to impress we are more focused on average scores and if we are at least better than someone else, when “someone else” might be pretty bad.  Continually improve and your patients will not only be impressed, but will be loyal.

Closing the Gap between Knowing and Doing.  “Like losing weight, our problem is not with knowing how. When we want to enough, we figure out how and learn by doing.  Our problem is with being committed enough to do what it takes every day, and do it permanently, not just in short bursts of inspired energy.” — Fred Lee

Here is a link to a slide show from some of Fred’s speaking engagements I found posted on the web:  http://tinyurl.com/fredleeifdisney.  I encourage you to read his book.  But most importantly when providing care to your patients I challenge you to improve continuously and ask yourself, “What Will I Do Differently?”

—Marty Hudson

We started looking at some of these statistics when Google announced they will discontinue support of IE 6 on March 1.  To continue to use some of Google’s services, users will have to upgrade to at least IE7.  Recent cyber attacks, via a flaw in IE6, against Google and other companies have created this move from IE6, but there remain a high number of users continuing to use IE6.  Personally, I believe whatever browser you use, you should upgrade to the most recent version. 

Google set the baseline for other browsers; with Firefox 3.0 or higher, Chrome 4.0 or higher, and Safari 3.0 or higher. “…you may find that from March 1, key functionality within these products–as well as new Docs and Sites features–won’t work properly in older browsers,” Google said.  Google continues to drive a lot of how the internet is accessed and utilized.  This kind of gives me a flashback to my blog back on December 15^th, “When Will Google Take Over the World”. 

Stats for January 2010, from Net Applications, shows IE users make up 62.2% of internet browsers.  This is down from 62.7% in December 2009.  Firefox users are also down slightly from 24.6% to 24.4%.  Chrome continues to grow and is at 5.2% in January, and Safari is staying level at 4.5%.  IE 8 (22.3%) actually passed IE6 (22.1%) users during the month of January.  IE 7 users follow at 14.6%.   

This prompted me to take a look at what browsers MedicalGPS users access our website and tools.  Comparing January 2010 to January 2009, here’s what I found.

                                                  2010               2009

Internet Explorer                      68.09%            82.39%

Firefox                                     21.88%            11.90%

Safari                                         6.89%             4.57%

Chrome                                     2.38%             0.31%

Other                                         0.76%             0.83%

A further analysis of just IE users shows how the versions of IE have changed from January 2009 to January 2010.

                                                  2010               2009

IE7                                          46.19%           68.53%

IE8                                          27.63%             0.75%

IE6                                          25.85%           30.68%

Older IE                                    0.33%             0.04%

Internet Explorer will continue to lead the pack for the foreseeable future, but as other browsers become more sophisticated, secure and competitive we will see Internet Explorer Still No. 1…But Fading.

—Marty Hudson

MedicalGPS is proud to say our workload and our database just took a step towards getting a lot bigger.  We are privileged to announce two new opportunities with our M3-Patient Experience services.  

Effective January 1 Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) began implementing M3-Patient Experience with HCA Physician Services, one of the largest operators of Medical Practices in the United States with over 350 locations nationally and managing over 1700 providers.  We will also have the privilege of working with First Onsite, an HCA subsidiary providing onsite healthcare clinics for employees and their families. 

We also were fortunate enough to receive a continuation and an agreement to grow the use of M3 with LifePoint Hospitals Physicians Services division.  We have been providing M3 services to LifePoint employed physicians during 2009 and plan to expand those services to independent providers associated with LifePoint during 2010.

M3-Patient Experience captures patient feedback electronically, eliminating manual survey tabulation. Survey results are delivered real-time via GPSMapping^®, MedicalGPS’ business intelligence solution.  M3-Patient Experience surveys each segment of the patient’s experience, from beginning to end and provides continuous monitoring and notification to leadership, real-time, whenever patient feedback warrants follow-up.

We try not to use our blog as an advertisement, but we are too excited about this news not to share it with you.  MedicalGPS has high expectations for 2010 and see the expansion with LifePoint and the addition of HCAPS as a springboard for growth. 

Another feature of M3 is the ability to benchmark patient feedback by provider to the MedicalGPS database as a whole or based on a providers’ specialty; so, we are excited to say, “Our M3-Patient Experience Database Just Got Bigger!”

—Marty Hudson

For the last few years MedicalGPS has published our newsletter, Navigator, to bring our clients and readers valuable, useful information.  We will continue to publish Navigatior, but to enhance and continue that trend we have established the MedicalGPS Blog.  We will be blogging and promoting our blogs on a weekly basis with the hope of providing you valuable information.  We want to provide you something beyond just another way to promote MedicalGPS and our products, but to offer ideas and suggestions to better your business.  If MedicalGPS can help you obtain that improvement, we stand ready to do so.  You can take a look at our website www.medicalgps.com to see our products, services and solutions and read more about our company. 

We also have ownership in our IT company, Core Business, LLC.  Core Business provides all of our IT support and the creative processes behind our technology.  If we don’t have what you are looking for, Core Business can create it for you.  You can also see a little more about Core Business and some of the clients it serves at www.thisiscore.com. 

Visit us here, go to our website and sign up for Navigator to get on our email list (http://medicalgps.com/navigator.aspx), or subscribe to our RSS feed, to experience how MedicalGPS can help you Position Your Practice for Success!

— Marty Hudson

So, I’m a self-admitted cynic when it comes to blogging.  So many people and business blog just for the sake of blogging and I just don’t support that.  I feel that a blog should have a function.  It should provide value to those who might read it.

After a recent staff meeting we came to the conclusion that a lot of the discussions we have in the MedicalGPS office are either interesting, insightful, intelligent or just funny.  “Maybe we should start blogging.”

So the MedicalGPS blog is born.  Based on my earlier statement on “value” Marty and Jerry will likely be the greatest contributors to this space, but the rest of the crew and I will pop in from time to time with something about data, reporting, online systems…. well- all the nerdy stuff.

— Corey Foster