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One of our specialty PA organizations sells a T-shirt that says;” A Surgeon’s Best Tool—A Surgical PA.” Where is the veracity in that statement? What makes this statement true? PAs serve the practice i.e.: the patient, the surgeon and the staff, in many ways but chief among them is that we are a buffer for unhappy patients and we serve as a divining tool to prevent and moderate when the threat of litigation occurs. No one wants a lawsuit nor do we wish to have unhappy patients. It is a well known fact that few people hear the hundred positive comments made about a plastic surgeon but everyone hears that one unhappy dissatisfied voice that feels it their duty to inform the community of a poor outcome or a perceived poor outcome. Patient dissatisfaction usually has its genesis in unrealistic expectations coupled with a poor personal image and Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Wouldn’t it be an asset to discover a tool that could prevent these sentinel events that take place in a practice by having a “crystal ball” that would be able to identify these patients before a surgical procedure? As PAs we can help our surgeons by informing them that such a device does, in fact, exist! The question is: in these economic times where there is a premium on performing any surgery, are we willing to pay the price to gain the prize? Are our surgeons and our practices willing to compromise in order to pay salaries, by operating on patients who will never be happy and who ultimately will cost the practice much more than just a “missed opportunity to operate?” Are we confusing a small fee that protects a practice with the prize or outcome of knowing, in advance, that we have a surgical candidate that will indeed be happy with our work and become a “beacon” that is living, walking proof of our care and our skills?
The Cosmetic Readiness Assessment (CRA) is a tool that focuses on assessment of psychological, motivational, compliance and adaptability issues prior to a surgical procedure. It represents a program that can act as a Shield to your practice and simultaneously serve the patient in the same manner. This tool is a system where the patient fills out an online secured questionnaire and it is interpreted by a Clinical Psychologist who in turn sends a secured report to the referring physician and makes recommendations based upon psychiatric indicators that will indicate high risk patients or indicate that this would be an indicated procedure. Wouldn’t it be nice to take the drama and the risk out of doing a cosmetic procedure? I see this as a win/win situation for the patient and the surgeon as well as the malpractice carrier. The CRA shield is being examined by Professional Liability Carriers with the potential to give discounts to surgeons who utilize this system. The discount alone will more than pay for the services rendered.
Are you interested in sharing this information with your surgeon and becoming the best tool in your practice? Contact info@riverwoodsbehavioralhealth.com or call them at 801-787-9855. You’ll be glad that you did.
RMB
Robert M. Blumm has received national recognition as a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). He is the past president of the Association of Plastic Surgery Physician Assistants, and was past-president of the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants, past president of the American College of Clinicians and NYSSPA, as well as Chairman of the Surgical Congress of the AAPA. In addition, Bob received the John Kirklin MD Award for Professional Excellence from the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants. Along with his associate, Dr. Acker, Bob was the first recipient of the AAPA PAragon Physician-PA Partnership Award. He has been a contributing author of three textbooks, written 150 plus articles and is a sought out conference speaker throughout the United States.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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