First and foremost, I’d like to thank all the leadership, instructors, and patient families for having me and taking the time out of thier busy schedules to share with us their valuable information and experiences. I will echo what Rick said yesterday in that this conference definitely re-ignited that fire in me to change our culture in Medicine and put the focus back on patients and their safety and well-being. When I go back to my slightly younger self to think of how I expected to be as a physician, I never thought of the negative effects I could have on patients, I only thought of myself as a healer. Then I said to myself, “OK, I can change my ways and improve myself so that I am better aware of errors around me or because of me, and correct them before they do real harm to patients.” However, the goal for all of us should be protecting all patients of potential human error, that will exist, no matter if you are directly apart of their care or not. In a way, I never imagined my healing touch could potentially reach a far extensive patient population than those who just come to see me in the clinic/hospital.
Second, I’d like to offer a few quick suggestions/comments/ideas about the conference and future educational events for residents…
- For future videos I would try to include more of a 360 degree viewpoint on the patient stories. Even if it were to still focus on specific topics of discussion, like informed consent and the Skolniks story, I think it would have been more impactful and hit harder to home if the residents/attendings/nurses/etc gave their viewpoint on what they were thinking or experiencing at the time. I know this may be hard to find willing volunteers for a video but is it possible to get any transcripts of interviews from these people and make them anonymous?
- We have a new “Neurology Outcomes Committee” with our dept as a vehicle for residents/attendings to bring their QIPS projects for discussion in a group setting to bounce ideas around about how to get it off the ground, suggestions with methods, etc. I know we don’t have that much time during the conference but maybe having one of the evening dinners be centered around sharing a few projects for discussion may help us see how the experts see QIPS projects and how to make them really work well.
- I think I mentioned this during the conference already but having a list, with maybe short summaries, of past QIPS projects alumni have done after the conference.
Lastly, I am giving a QIPS lecture to my Neurology residents on Thurs 8/7 (if I don’t have a fellowship interview that day.) I will let you all know how it goes. Hopefully, I can inspire them as I have been inspired this past weekend into taking patient safety seriously and pursuing a change in culture passionately.
-Justin Martello