Newsletter Issue 3

The Value of Technology: One Person's Perspective

Jack Burke

During a quarter century of living in California, our family had doctors, from family practitioners to specialists and surgeons, spread from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks. The actual doctors and their locations varied over time, as we moved from Santa Monica, to Calabasas, to Thousand Oaks. The common factor between them and the primary factor in our selection of them was acceptance of our health insurance.

Each visit to a new doctor required completion of a "new patient" form and a description of our medical history and medication regimen at the time. We finally put all of the information for each family member into a computer, so we could simply print it off and bring it with us. We never really gave it much thought, since that was the way things were. Although I must admit feeling a certain level of inconvenience when filling out those forms.

In 2005, we moved to Branson, Missouri. Skaggs Regional Medical Center is the only hospital actually in Branson, although there are several more in Springfield which is only 30 miles away. Most of the doctors are certified at either Skaggs, or one of the Springfield hospitals – and they all have remote group practice operations in the Branson area. Our family happened to choose Skaggs as our hospital of choice and selected physicians based on their connection to the hospital.

At this point, it was pretty similar to our experiences in California in arranging medical resources, ranging from heart specialists to family practice. But we were soon to learn about a major difference and a much-appreciated convenience, and it all had to do with technology.

About the time that we moved here, Skaggs had begun implementation of a massive, medical-community-wide computer system. Aside from the infrastructure, this implementation also included a major educational program at the hospital and every associated medical practice. (Ironically, they hired a technology specialist from a hospital in Bakersfield, California to coordinate this training process.)

Obviously there were challenges to overcome in every phase of this transition. But from the perspective of a patient who utilizes their services, here are the benefits that we've experienced:

1. Once our historical information was entered into the system, it was done! No longer did we have to duplicate information for each and every doctor we have seen. It's already in the system and everyone associated with the hospital has access to it.
2. Each of our doctors is immediately aware, via computer, of any activity at another doctor. For instance, my primary physician merely opens my file and sees the comments, medication changes, and etc. from a prior visit to my heart specialist.
3. This transparency between our physicians has created a sense of confidence and security, because our respective physicians are not relying on what my wife or I might remember to tell them about visits to, and treatment by, other doctors.
4. Emergency room or urgent care visits are also better. The doctors on duty have immediate access to all of our records and medications.

From a community perspective, Skaggs has even taken it a step further. Recently they donated a building to a non-profit charitable group that has established a Health Clinic for the working, but uninsured, in the Branson area. Doctor visits are pro-rated in accordance to income, and the hospital is donating necessary tests and lab work.

Local people, however, cannot register for this service at the clinic. They have to register at the local YMCA. The reason is that the clinic requires patient to become proactively involved in their health. If a doctor prescribes a weight loss or exercise program, or even an educational seminar, the patient's participation in such activities at the YMCA are logged into the computer system as well. So now, the doctors are privy to whether or not the patient is in compliance with medical recommendations. If non-compliant, they can lose the benefits of the clinic. In conversations with people that are using this resource, there has been a generally positive response. The people actually seem happy that the system (and the technology) is holding them accountable for the wellness programs. Most shared that without that accountability; they might never have actually undertaken such a wellness regimen.

In summary, despite those who might worry about privacy invasion, this particular medical consumer, along with my family, is very grateful to a medical organization that had the foresight to get a jump-start on reaping the benefits of technology with their operations and the community as a whole. In other words, they have exceeded my expectations and thereby created a loyal and happy consumer of their medical resources.

The Skaggs mission is defined as "Improving your life through medical, health, and wellness services."

What's interesting is that their commitment to technology is actually included in the expansion of that mission statement when it states:

"We are dedicated to achieving our mission by:

1. Taking a leadership role in wellness through education, prevention, and advocacy.
2. Serving our patients through the use of modern technology by skilled professionals."

Jack Burke, a specialist in customer service, marketing, and communication, is the author of "Creating Customer Connections" and "Relationship Aspect Marketing". He can be contacted at jack@soundmarketing.com.

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