Case Studies In Management Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Perhaps you have recognized some of these symptoms in your practice from time to time. 

Case #1 

Symptoms: Shortness of cash flow, patient’s adverse reaction to payment, swollen A/R, policy paralysis, uncontrolled losses, weak financial reports or analysis, bleeding expenses.

Diagnosis: Fractured Currency 

Treatment: Lay solid financial groundwork by educating patients and enforcing set policies. Situate the “right staff” with professional skills at the front desk. Collect past due balances, copays and deductibles up-front. Communicate with effective scripting. Put clear-cut embezzlement safeguards in place. Track and manage aged accounts by reviewing monthly reporting and review all write-offs.

Case #2

Symptoms: Hypercriticism, signs of depression, staff turnover, visible discontent, excess frowning and smile loss. Manager exhibits failure to communicate/listen, set realistic goals and expectations, encourage a gratifying work atmosphere, motivate, guide and lead by example, acknowledge and appreciate work effort.  

Diagnosis: Severe Manage-itis

Treatment: This may include supervisory skill training courses. Openly communicate and actively listen. Accept alternate methods that produce similar outcomes. Align staff duties to individual strengths. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Initiate a staff survey to identify and improve management competencies.

Case #3

Symptoms: Decline in productivity, no perception of expected outcomes, increased errors with inconsistent attempts at correction, not optimizing employee abilities, constructive feedback deficiency and rise in absenteeism.

Diagnosis: Staff Infection

Treatment: Understand the purpose of an employee performance assessment. Prepare for and conduct effective reviews that consist of evaluations based on fact and contributions to the practice (not assumptions or opinions). Have an honest exchange of conversation during these reviews, not lectures. Focus on improvement, not criticism. Review written assessments with staff and follow up with suggestions for progress.

If the aforementioned symptoms in any of these cases look familiar, it is because they eventually find their way into every office at one time or another, often leading to loss: loss of staff, loss of revenue, loss of sanity or all the above. 

While doctors can intelligently diagnose symptoms associated with a foot problem, they often fall short when it comes to recognizing symptoms related to a management problem. As a result, small issues are often overlooked, unheeded or kicked down the road. 

Let us imagine a patient who presents with a chief complaint of “numerous lumps on the bottom of both my heels.” After a thorough evaluation, you diagnose a sizeable verruca plantaris on the left heel with a cluster of smaller lesions around it and a smaller lesion under the right third metatarsal. 

Your patient claims awareness of these for quite some time, acknowledging significant growth in size, eventually spreading to both feet. You ask, “Why did you ignore these for this long?” and explain that treating small warts as soon as symptoms arise can prevent them from growing into ones that are much more difficult to manage. In this case, disregarding the problem suggests ignorance. (No disrespect. The Oxford definition of ignorant is lacking knowledge, information or awareness about a particular thing.¹ That applies here.)

As a professional, you educate your patient, offer a treatment regimen and eventually cure the viral skin infections. Of course, it is what you do.

How equally attentive are you when it comes to addressing managerial concerns? Do you follow your own advice and take care of the symptoms while they are still small and easily addressed? Or, like your patient, do you find yourself hesitating, thus allowing minor issues to grow significantly in size and become far more difficult to manage? 

Symptoms, whether medical or management, are warning signs. Like warts, management issues can appear suddenly and grow considerably if they are ignored. On the other hand, early detection allows for prompt action (treatment) and the prevention of severe consequences. Even the mechanic knows this. “Don’t ignore the engine light!” he says. “You can pay me now or you can PAY me later.” 

Ms. Homisak is the President of SOS Healthcare Management Solutions in Federal Way, WA.  She completed a Health Coach Training Program from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and received certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

Reference

1. Ignorance. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. Available at: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/ignorance#:~:text=noun-,noun,ignorance%20of%20her%20husband's%20activities. Accessed February 22, 2021.