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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
STAFFING
Ignorance is not bliss
Never ignore troublesome behaviors, because they usually won't go
away on their own. The keys to successfully defusing these behaviors
are to identifying problematic patterns early on and to intervene as
soon as possible. When you work with a fair system, with fair data
collection and a graded response, the earlier you intervene, the less
likely the behavior will escalate. OSM
Dr. Cooper (
william.cooper@vanderb ilt.edu
) is the Cornelius Vanderbilt
Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy and associate dean for faculty
affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.
T
roubled behavior is not as random as
you might expect. Within any organiza-
tion, 3% to 5% of physicians account for
35% to 40% of patient complaints. Those same
physicians account for 40% to 50% of malpractice
risk. Likewise, 2% to 3% of physicians account for
35% to 40% of staff complaints. The most impor-
tant thing to understand from those numbers:
Behaviors that undermine a culture of safety
aren't randomly distributed. Another piece of criti-
cal information: You can improve the behavior of a
difficult doc 80% of the time if you share data that
demonstrates the patterns of behaviors that make
him an outlier relative to his peers.
— William Cooper, MD, MPH
NOTABLE NUMBERS
A Few Bad Apples Often to Blame
