The small difference in spelling between “compliant” and “complaint” was a theme for me in several distinct interactions last week. From the patient experience to the use of EHR and Health IT in the clinic, several thoughtful people shared stories that demonstrated how subtle and powerful the difference of those two words can be.
The first conversation was about a patient’s experience during a face-to-face caregiver support group meeting. A lady shared her story about a recent visit to the dentist for a simple procedure of a tooth filling. At the inception of the exam portion of her visit, she asked the dentist if she may have Novocain in preparation for the procedure. He responded by informing her that he did not believe in administering Novocain for fillings.
She decided to be a compliant patient with the dentist’s policy and agreed to proceed with the filling. As the pain became stronger for her during the procedure, she said that tears began rolling down her face. She remained steadfast in her determination to be compliant and not complain by remaining silent throughout the procedure. Her conclusion to this story was that she never mentioned a word to anyone in the clinic about this painful experience, but that she would tell at least 10 other people not to go to this clinic for care.
Another gentleman, in the same caregiver meeting, dealing with chronic pain shared his story about the effects of drug interactions and his daily experience in managing his heart condition. He spoke in detail of his patient data and his continued interest in measuring the changes in his health conditions. The challenge that he shared in his attempt to be compliant was that his prescribed pain medication was having an adverse impact on his heart condition. His resolution was not a matter of complaint but rather non-compliance by disregarding the pain medication in lieu of the heart medication. His rationale was to utilize his high tolerance of pain for the benefit of his heart condition.
The final interaction of the week came at the Chicago Health 2.0 event on Saturday. As Dr. David E. Albert was sharing his story as a healthcare inventor, he described this experience as an overnight success 29 years in the making. There is great insight and value in his statement, and where the common ground lies in the use of EHR and an outcomes-based approach throughout the physician-patient relationship as well.
The subtleties that lie between complaint and compliant represent the opportunities to change the course of the experience for all stakeholders in the clinic. Whether it’s in the ongoing use and development of EHR in the clinic or the more engaged patient interactions, it is a journey for everyone that does not happen overnight. Recognizing the subtleties of the unspoken words as much as those expressed may be the most important step in moving beyond the complaint and realizing the value of cooperation throughout the clinic experience.
