Comments on: HIStalk Interviews Rick Skinner, Director, Navigant Consulting http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/ Healthcare IT News and Opinion Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:21:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: p_anon http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/comment-page-1/#comment-985 p_anon Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:14:39 +0000 http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/#comment-985 I love this guy. 1) I love his take on standardization (agree wholeheartedly!); 2) I love his discussion of "shadow IT", i.e. non-IT employees functioning in IT-related roles. Great interview/discussion! On an almost entirely different subject, patient satisfaction surveys: what are hospitals allowed to do to game the system so they get better surveys? I ask because looking at my recently-discharged relative's paperwork, I came across a full page flier asking her to "please rate us a 5," stating that she should rate them a 5 unless she had particular reason to NOT do so, and if that was the case, it was indicated she should then call their customer service line to explain why. They even had a picture of "1 2 3 4 (5)" with the 5 proudly circled. Is this type of gaming the system normal? If some of the hospitals are doing it, should all follow suit just to keep up? I love this guy. 1) I love his take on standardization (agree wholeheartedly!); 2) I love his discussion of “shadow IT”, i.e. non-IT employees functioning in IT-related roles. Great interview/discussion!

On an almost entirely different subject, patient satisfaction surveys: what are hospitals allowed to do to game the system so they get better surveys? I ask because looking at my recently-discharged relative’s paperwork, I came across a full page flier asking her to “please rate us a 5,” stating that she should rate them a 5 unless she had particular reason to NOT do so, and if that was the case, it was indicated she should then call their customer service line to explain why. They even had a picture of “1 2 3 4 (5)” with the 5 proudly circled.

Is this type of gaming the system normal? If some of the hospitals are doing it, should all follow suit just to keep up?

]]> By: Tony http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/comment-page-1/#comment-983 Tony Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:54:36 +0000 http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/#comment-983 Skinner's got it right. As an operations director in a large hospital system that implemented Epic, it was frustrating to always be at odds with the IT organization. It seems like I was constantly working to get them to understand that they provided a tool for me. And if that tool didn't work, I couldn't do my job. So I had to teach them customer service. At the same time, I had to teach the executives that the tool in and of itself was not going to solve problems. They had to be convinced that process change and standardization had to be implemented in order to see the benefit. I was able to see this within 2 weeks of go live. I was still trying to get everyone on the same page 12 months later. So I ignored them and went straight to the operational departments with change projects and we made it happen ourselves. It could have happened much more quickly if the exectives and the IT leadership and staff would listen to their internal customers. Skinner’s got it right. As an operations director in a large hospital system that implemented Epic, it was frustrating to always be at odds with the IT organization. It seems like I was constantly working to get them to understand that they provided a tool for me. And if that tool didn’t work, I couldn’t do my job. So I had to teach them customer service. At the same time, I had to teach the executives that the tool in and of itself was not going to solve problems. They had to be convinced that process change and standardization had to be implemented in order to see the benefit. I was able to see this within 2 weeks of go live. I was still trying to get everyone on the same page 12 months later. So I ignored them and went straight to the operational departments with change projects and we made it happen ourselves. It could have happened much more quickly if the exectives and the IT leadership and staff would listen to their internal customers.

]]> By: Historian http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/comment-page-1/#comment-982 Historian Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:10:52 +0000 http://histalk2.com/2008/04/07/histalk-interviews-rick-skinner-director-navigant-consulting/#comment-982 Re: Interview with Skinner I guess after a few years thistory starts to merge. I wonder what Guy Scalzi was doing as VP for Outsourcing prior to Skinner's arrival? Re: Interview with Skinner

I guess after a few years thistory starts to merge. I wonder what Guy Scalzi was doing as VP for Outsourcing prior to Skinner’s arrival?

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