Fellow entrepreneurs, hear me out.

A new technology is inserted into your career’s practice, touting the betterment of all parties involved.

But that technology actually turns out to be a deterrent.

What do you do?

Simple. We’re all entrepreneurs. We make the changes necessary to make it work.

Or, if we can’t make it work, then we’d simply take the deterrent away.

Entrepreneurs make smart decision that impact their career positively. That’s the beauty of being in control.

But what if someone told you that you couldn’t do that?

You HAD to keep that deterrent in, but you were still the one responsible for it all; the “transactions” & outcomes?

Makes no sense, right?

You’re probably thinking, “Duh! Of course I’d take it away. It’s my business, and I’m in control. What happens on the other end is on me! When things aren’t working, it’s my responsibility to take them out.”

A-ha! Now you’re starting to feel how we feel, as physicians.

We’re in charge of the patient physician relationship. But are we ACTUALLY in charge?

Entrepreneurs make smart decision that impact their career positively. That’s the beauty of being in control.

We sure have little say in the factors that run that relationship. We can give the advice, sure, but what happens in the periphery (the stuff that matters day to day) isn’t in our control at all.

And yet, no matter what happens, sh*t always comes back to us.

I’m not implying that we don’t take responsibility.

I’m explaining that when your health coach isn’t actually getting to decide on the factors that deliver better care for your body, how is he/she/they supposed to practice safely?

How are they additionally supposed to feel the fulfillment they were meant to have (good old ‘job satisfaction’), practicing by using the tools they actually believe in?

From Howard A Green, MD’s “16 Well-Meaning Phrases With No Actual Benefit To Health Delivery“:

“Beware when EHR companies which claim they are improving the value of the practice of healthcare and making better physicians without demonstrating outcomes, doctor workflow or costs or clinical evidence. They’re lying.”

Another relevant quote, from Daniel Paull, M.D.’s When Data In Medicine Is The Enemy:

“Any time that data metrics are used to determine pay, people will game the system. This is no different for medicine.”.

It’s a sad state of affairs we’re in, where the physicians – the respected member of society who dedicated his/her/their life to the betterment of your health – no longer has control to actually better it.

I’d even call it ironic, if it wasn’t truly worrisome.

So that’s that. My commentary.

I don’t think we’re changing anything anytime soon.

But at least we’re speaking up. For the good of your health, the health of your children, and even mine.

(originally published on SoMeDocs, at DoctorsonSocialMedia.com, here).