| In
the many strategic planning retreats that I have facilitated
for radiology groups during the past couple of years,
I have used as a basis for generating strategic and
visionary thought a remarkable book whose author outlines
a vision of our society's transformation—and
the implications for medicine—to an age of heightened
creativity and an increased reliance on right brain
functions to understand and gain new respect for context.
His thesis has many ramifications for radiology, especially
in his delineation of the movement from mere "process"
to adding value to the information that is generated.
In my opinion, it is an understanding of this shift
to a relationship model of interdependence between radiologist
and referring physician that will ultimately determine
the success or failure of tomorrow's practice.
On a whim, I contacted the best-selling author of "A
Whole New Mind" to see if he would agree to an
interview with me to share his thoughts on this concept
as a direct message to radiology practices. To my delight
he agreed and in the following Q&A, Daniel Pink
gives all of us in this fascinating segment of medicine
a glimpse of what will be expected of us if we are to
be among the leaders, and, dare I say, survivors in
this new era.
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Question: In your book
you say "This century, new technologies are proving
they can replace human left brain." How important
do you feel it will be for radiologists, who rely on
high-technology medical equipment to generate their
diagnostic data, to find new ways to add value to the
resulting information that is interpreted and sent to
the referring physician and patient?
Pink: Obviously, it will
be very important. If radiologists intend both to serve
their patients and continue earning a living, they have
to be something more than high-end medical Photo-mats.
That means being able to detect the non-obvious elements
of a scan. But it also means thinking of their
role more expansively; not as a processor of data but
as someone who can put the information they have in
front of them into a larger context. That requires
understanding the patient's story, being comfortable
moving across a range of medical specialties, and developing
real relationships with the referring physicians.
Question: There are recent
examples of diagnostic imaging studies being sent to
India for interpretation by radiologists in that country,
who provide the service for a fraction of the cost.
What can radiologists in respective markets in the U.S.
do to have their "customers" (referring physicians,
payors, and patients) see them as more than merely assembly
line producers of diagnostic reports?
Pink: Well, they have to
be something more than assembly line producers of diagnostic
reports. They have to be more than vending machines
for routine answers. This is true, I think, of most
physicians today. As patients self-diagnose and tap
the same reservoir of information available to physicians,
the doctor's role is changing from omniscient purveyor
of solutions to empathic advisor on options. The analytic
and information-based parts of doctoring remain essential
but increasingly they must be supplemented with new
approaches such as empathy, narrative medicine and holistic
care.
Question: As you look at
the future of specialty medicine, do you have any advice
for those physicians who perhaps have not spent much
time developing their right brain functions?
Pink: The first bit of advice
is to recognize that these right brain abilities are
not niceties in the practice of medicine. There's a
growing pile of evidence that shows that they can help
lower costs and improve patient outcomes. The second
bit of advice is to understand that these abilities
are fundamentally human ones. Every doctor, every person,
can master design, empathy, symphony, story, and the
like, to some degree. It's just that these abilities
haven't been in demand so they're like muscles that
we haven't used and have atrophied. We simply need to
work these muscles back into shape.
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