The Need for Doctor Performance Feedback, Not Patient Waivers

I concur with criticism of waivers by patients of their rights to reveal negative feedback about healthcare experiences. It runs counter to the necessity of feedback for continuous improvement.  This is, in fact, the basis for the management model for performance excellence framed by the late Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige:  If an organization wants to improve, it must examine how it conducts business and serves its customers.  It has to set goals, take steps to achieve them, evaluate outcomes and make refinements.  Sharp Healthcare applied the model to raise both patient and employee satisfaction, climbing in the last five years from the 17^th to the 80^th percentile in rankings¹.

What we need is Baldrige's model comprehensively applied to the healthcare sector, not barriers to patient feedback. If you're presented with such a waiver for signature, run the other way.  And change your doctor.

Nancy Muller

NAFC Executive Director

¹ Gao, H.  Schooling in management:  Superintendent's method used by Boeing, Motorola.  The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 2, 2007.