I admit that I have a rudimentary knowledge of the business
world, but I’m improving. I now know,
for example, that a C-suite does not refer to the procedure room where I do
colonoscopies. I am aware that executive
coaching does not refer to advising top managers on their golf swing or tennis
overhead. I used to think that LLC stood
for Long Live Colonoscopy, but now I know better. CFO, Chief Flatulence Officer?
While patients and physicians operate under oral agreements,
business agreements are generally established in writing. In these documents, terms are outlined
including contingencies in the event that foreseeable obstacles or disputes
develop. Oftentimes, the two parties do
not agree that a contractual term has been violated. This is when the fun begins. With a little luck, the legal profession
enters the arena and can speedily resolve the disagreement in a matter of several
years after impoverishing both sides.
A common contractual feature is a requirement that goods and
services be delivered on time and on budget.
A contractor might be subject to a penalty if his project is not
completed by the agreed date. This is a
reasonable concept and serves as an incentive for on time performance. In real life, this may not be as clean as it
sounds.
Customer: “You’re a
week late so you owe me half a gazillion dollars.”
Contractor: “It’s not our fault that the city planner
delayed us. Go fight City Hall.”
Other professions are not subjected to financial incentives
to deliver on time. Consider our beloved
airline industry where customers are hassled and fleeced before they are herded
onto airplanes to sink into a seat narrower than most humans. Air travel has delivered some celestial
benefits to us. It has increased our
spirituality. We pray that our luggage
won’t arrive in the wrong continent. We
pray that our bottle of mouthwash in our carry-on bag won’t be
confiscated. (This critical security
policy is from the same TSA brainiacs who initially gave a green light to bringing
pen knives on board.) We fervently pray that the passenger seated in front of
us will not lean his seat back while our tray table is down which would impale
us.
Air Travel - More Relaxing than Root Canal
Shouldn’t the airlines be penalized when flights are
delayed? At present, they game the
system by artificially lengthening the estimated travel time so that many
flights will arrive ‘on time’ even when there are delays. When a flight is delayed an hour, what loss
do passengers incur? Shouldn’t they be
made whole for their loss? Perhaps, an
extra bag of honey roasted peanuts would mollify the restive crowd.
On time performance is a live issue in the medical
profession.
Do patients deserve to be compensated when physicians are
late? Should it depend upon the
reason? Is a delay because of a medical
urgency non-compensable? Should there be
a no fault system where patients are compensated for delays regardless of the
explanation?
Stand down readers.
This concept might work in both directions. What pound of flesh should be exacted from
patients who wander in late or simply fail to show up? The latter occurs even when patients have
been contacted the day prior to remind them of their solemn obligation to keep
their appointments. It is particularly
vexing when a colonoscopy patient fails to show leaving us with nurses, a nurse
anesthetist and a doctor with unscheduled time off that could have been used by
another patient.
Insurance carriers will not permit physicians to charge
patients who leave us flat. It’s in our
contract, a document that offers us no relief when these companies don’t
deliver.
If you have suggestions on what should be done to late
physicians or patients, you are encouraged to do so at this time.