[optimal] Re: Workload Demands
- From: Mark Maio <markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Optimal <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:31:19 -0400
Congratulations John. I really think this is a smart move on your part,
whether UWM is helping with the tuition or not.
I came up with the idea of ³Ophthalmic Information Manager² after a
discussion with a friend of mine who is an architect and whose wife happens
to be a retina specialist. He owned an architectural firm and told me about
the transition from architects doing manual drawings to using CAD systems.
As CAD became more and more prevalent, he had to hire a person to just run
it and make sure his architects had access to the system and its¹ contents.
He said it got to the point where the highest paid person in his office,
other than the owners, was this person. He felt there were plenty of good
architects available, so if one left they could be replaced without much
disruption in his workflow, but if the person maintaining his digital
information flow left, his entire business would be negatively affected. I
can see how this same analogy could be applied to what is happening in
ophthalmic imaging.
Mark Maio
On 3/27/12 9:44 AM, "John Peterson" <jpeterson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Good stuff, Mark and Stuart. HITECH Act link very informative. I too see the
> future of our profession as part of the Health Info infrastructure. In my job,
> I spend an increasing amount of time moving pixels from one place to another
> (which includes unplugging logjams of all sorts), at the expense of actually
> creating them. It's a change I welcome on a number of levels, not least of
> which is that it's more brainy than kicking out OCT's all day (not that I'm
> complaining about patient contact...it's what keeps me grounded).
>
> Last month I started an MBA program in IT Management. Hospital admin. is
> helping with the tuition. In the meantime I'm looking for relevant committee
> work to keep moving forward, and to make myself more useful.
>
> Here's the program I'm attending:
>
> http://www.wgu.edu/business/master_business_administration_IT_degree
>
> Contact me off list if you want more information about this program.
>
> Cheers,
>
> John
> ********
> John C. Peterson, BS, CRA
> Director of Ophthalmic Photography Services
> UW Health Eye Clinic
> 2880 University Ave., Rm. 246
> Madison, WI 53705
> (608) 263-7163
>
> "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
>
>
>
> From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Stuart Alfred
> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 8:05 PM
> To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
>
> Bruce and Mark,
>
> Everyone so ready to comment - it has been some time since OPTIMAL got its'
> 'dander up', and Bruce and Mark specifically as I had conversations with both
> in San Fran ICOP 2006 about somewhat similar thread subjects. .
>
> Mind you private practices and university have differing payment models. . .my
> story is as follows:
> Just prior, and during, my planned departure from state university my position
> was re-categorized to an IT position. Great ...right, acurate certainly.
> Irony is I'd argued for about a year that if ophthalmology databases needed
> new software or backups (Humphrey. MRP) it seemed imperative that the
> university's vast IT service be called in. That 'support' would cost our
> service money, so guess what?! I was forced into spending any spare moment
> working on incompetently backup systems, hopefully without losing the entire
> DB. Behind this scenario a few aspects; I was singularly running my
> university ophthalmology service in the burbs doing very profitable volumes of
> OCTs per day, while also doing all FAs, most VFs !!! and all CFPs/SL (with
> PowerPoint's/posters etc happening at the ophth service.) You get the picture.
> Grant it I might have overlooked some alternative ideas, but Mark's post is
> spot on for me, Bruce's drives it home. Implementing our collective work
> ethic and medical diagnostics experience into a vastly changing landscape is
> the shrewd route to navigate, dropping the 95yr olds who require pushing the
> instrument to the edge and your shoulders, voice box and sanity to the edge,
> and 3% rate increases. Wondering if I can tangent successfully into a more
> fully IT environment.
>
> In specific regard to Mark's points some of you may consider 'retooling' by
> checking out a recently passed piece of Federal legislature (with educational
> grant $$) regarding electronic exchange of health related information, and
> current and future need for qualified IT personnel. see below/attached
>
>
> Adding knowledge in HIT,
>
> Stuart
> TRI-C student in HIT / Implementation Support Specialist.
>
>
> HITECH act
> http://www.athenahealth.com/_doc/pdf/HITECH_Fact_Sheet_Whitepaper.pdf
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 7:03 PM, Bruce Cox <gbrucecox@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> It have always felt that the best way to handle workplace abuse by employers
>> and indeed what is being expressed in today¹s posts is abuse, is to
>> educate oneself on all aspects of your job, including what the doctor gets
>> reimbursed for what you do.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thirty two years ago after working @ Wills for several years and seeing our
>> 2 man department increase our volume by 200%, my working partner and I went
>> to the administration to plead our case. We were told that our department
>> made money for departments in the hospital that did not, and that we would
>> not receive any more than our 6% raise (1980 when inflation was running at
>> 12%). Within a year both of us had left. Armed with the information I had
>> garnered from that experience, I started my own mobile service and have been
>> in business for the last 30 years, always keeping up with changing
>> technology and reimbursement rates. When a client questions any part of our
>> service, I¹m ready with answers. Today we are integrating our diagnostic
>> imaging into our clients EMRs which not only makes them happy, but saves us
>> $$ in printing costs.
>>
>>
>>
>> Knowledge is key.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bruce Cox
>>
>> MDI
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>> Behalf Of Hackel, Richard
>> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 11:51 AM
>> To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>
>> Subject: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Check out this article in yesterday's New York Times:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetrack
>> s.html?scp=1&sq=race%20horses&st=cse
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Richard
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>> From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] on behalf
>> of Marshall E Tyler [marshalletyler@xxxxxxxxx]
>> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 8:34 AM
>> To: Anton Drew; optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [optimal] Re: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
>>
>>
>>
>> Like Anton, except for being in a 3 photographer, 2 location practice, the
>> patient & procedure load kept increasing.
>> IF equipment were to never go down, and nobody was sick or on holiday, and
>> there were no OR cases, publication images, or drug studies, and no lunchs
>> to be eaten, nor potty needs, then all was good.
>> Days with 2 photographers could keep up with 100+ procedures. Days with one
>> photographer and 85+ procedures and 10 hour days were not uncommon.
>> There is an expression about abusing race horses: "Run hard and put up wet."
>> There is a point where not only photographers are abused, but patients
>> receive sub-par studies.
>> How to address this balance of appropriate staffing could be a topic for OPS
>> meetings.
>> Thank you,
>> Marshall
>> Marshall E. Tyler, CRA, FOPS, 40 years of service, Retired!
>> via Verizon Android Phone
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Reply message -----
>> From: "Anton Drew" <anton.drew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Date: Mon, Mar 26, 2012 3:29 am
>> Subject: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
>> To: <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>> Each year for the past 2 years our OCT workload had increased over 100% each
>> year and our patients were sent to Alan Hoare as we didn't have an OCT.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Since we got our own unit, nearly 2 years ago, our workload (on demand) had
>> increased 150% the first year, and 250%, last year.
>>
>>
>>
>> Already we are ahead of that figure this year to the same time.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Being mainly a one man band it is getting very difficult to keep up with the
>> workloads for the Retinal Clinics which are 3 days a week, plus Diabetic
>> Screening.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> With Fundal Photos, FFAs, Slitlamp Photography, OCTs, Pentacam and Wavefront
>> scans it is not unusual for me to have 28+ patients in a 3 hour session.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> THEN they ask for images for publications, editing of videos taken during
>> surgery, and forms, brochures and posters designed.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Getting too old for this stress. :o|
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> After 40 years in the job (started 14th Feb 1972), enough is enough, as they
>> won't employ my assistant full time, I am making a concerted effort to cut
>> my hours back in transition to retirement, but I am getting a lot of
>> resistance to that.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The job has become too stressful trying to keep up with the present and
>> increasing workload and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight.
>>
>>
>>
>> I regularly work up to an hour over and above my Award hours, but don't get
>> paid any extra, and have no chance of taking the time off at a later date.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> So Lisa, as they say, "ALL of the above!"
>>
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>>
>>
>> Anton
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>>
>> On 26/03/2012, at 1:03 PM, Lisa Breayley wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Quick question for those of you who went from a paper/print system for
>> results to a totally on-line system i.e. Drs can see patient results
>> ³instantly² in clinic.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Did your workload go up? Did having results straight away meant the
>> clinicians asked for more? More patients? More tests? More views?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> We¹re looking at a system now and I¹m curious?
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Lisa
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> L.M.Breayley
>>
>>
>>
>> Senior Photographer
>>
>>
>>
>> MedPIC
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
>>
>>
>>
>> 32 Gisborne Street
>>
>>
>>
>> East Melbourne, Victoria 3002
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Ph 61-3-9929 8335
>>
>>
>>
>> Fax 61-3-9929 8217
>>
>>
>>
>> www.eyeandear.org.au <http://www.eyeandear.org.au>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>> **********************************************************
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Mark Maio
>> InVision, Inc.
>> 5445 Buckhollow Drive
>> Alpharetta, GA 30005
>> markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> 404-386-5676
>>
>> Consultant in ophthalmic and biomedical imaging.
>> Member of Adobe's Biomedical Imaging Advisory Group
>>
>> My fine art photography is represented by Lumiere:
>> http://lumieregallery.net/wp/?p=254
>>
>>
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