Mon, May 11, 2009 - 8:09:58

Medicine Gets Personal

Several weeks ago, on the Small Blog, we talked about an amazing study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that doctors, nurses, and medical assistants who take the time to introduce themselves and describe their responsibilities to one another prior to entering the operating room, boast a significantly higher rate (up to 40%) of patient recovery than surgeons who do not.  By making one simple change and harnessing the power of small, these medical professionals could increase their job performance and more importantly save more lives every day.  As we kick off this week’s special look at the power of small and your health, we wanted to highlight the story of one very special doctor who, by thinking small, is making great strides in the field of radiology.

We recently came across an article in the New York Times that stopped us in our tracks.  In it, Dina Kraft described the amazing, yet SMALL, efforts of Dr. Yehonatan N. Turner, a radiologist treating cancer patients in Jerusalem.  Frustrated by the stark and clinical manner in which his patients were presented—simply as sick organs in need of treatment—Dr. Turner devised a plan to bring the person back to the patient.  He attached photographs of each patient to his files. As Turner states in Kraft’s New York Times article, “I was looking for a way to make each case feel unique and less abstract. I thought having a photo of the patient would help me relate in a deeper way.”

Dr. Turner’s belief resulted in a medical study that revealed intriguing findings: just by seeing a photograph on a patients file, radiologists who by trade have little interaction with actual patients, were inclined to produce longer, more detailed reports.  By adding a human element to their work, doctors were inspired and emotionally connected to their cases and consequently, worked harder to save their lives.

In the case of Dr. Turner and the fellow radiologists who participated in the study, adding a human face to their work meant not only increased job performance, but increased chances at life for the patients involved.  But, you don’t have to be a doctor to learn from their stories.  In our wired world, where many of our social interactions take place online or over the phone, it’s important to remember the humans behind all that technology.  Whether you’re sending an email to a coworker, haggling over the phone with customer service, or updating your Twitter status for the millionth time that day, think about the people on the other end and make it personal.  Take the time to make a little small talk in your emails.  If the customer service rep is a real person, treat her like one.  And instead of tweeting about your latest news, take a few minutes to respond to other users.  These tiny connections we make each day remind us all that we’re human, and despite the vast networks that separate us, bring us all a little closer.

Posted by Linda and Robin