You have control...... I have control....
My father was a fighter pilot, so I have a morbid fascination with reports about why plane accidents happen. I remember reading a report about an aviation accident where a two-seater fighter jet had crashed into the ground for no obvious reason. The crash investigators could find no fault with the aeroplane, and they concluded that the two pilots had each thought that the other one had control of the aeroplane, incorrectly as it happened. When flying a two-seater aeroplane it's normal for one pilot to pass control of the aeroplane to the other pilot by saying ‘you have control’. The second pilot then takes control of the aeroplane and replies to the first pilot, saying: ‘I have control’. Without this dialogue happening neither pilot knows who is controlling the aeroplane. The crash investigators assumed that this is what occurred when the two seater fighter jet crashed. Neither of the pilots was in control.
This reminds me of how our patient interactions may be dysfunctional. Our patients assume that we know all about their health problems, even if we haven't asked them the full story. They told us the full story many years ago, but we might have forgotten
This is why I think it's important that we do a full review of our patients at least annually. When I say do a review, I do mean completely reassessing everything about the patient, including their blood pressure, listening to their heart, weighing them, asking them about their current medication, and their full medical history. Everything. You get the picture. I complete a form when I do the annual review, which is a bit like a pilot's check-list. (Email me if you would like a copy).
A number of years ago I was doing some coaching in a busy practice. I was observing one of the clinicians at work. He brought out a pile of notes of the patients that he was going to see that afternoon. Many of them were long-standing maintenance patients. I asked him how many of those patients had had their blood pressure checked within the past 12 months. He looked at me, raised an eyebrow and said …..’none, probably’.
It was a plane crash waiting to happen……….
Implementing a programme of annual reviews of patients is not as easy as you might think. Its worth planning how to go about it. Talk to me if you plan to do this, and I'll be able to help you!
Questions:
What advantages might there be to the patient in having an annual patient review?
How could an annual review help you plan your patient care?
See some Lightning aerobatics here
Want a copy of my annual patient review form? Email me, and I’ll send it to you for free: andy@kaizendc.com
I am a chiropractor and sonographer. I also mentor colleagues to help them become the clinicians that they want to become. Find out more here.
