Remarks
Practice Innovation
We can improve our practices and health
care by using our
training and thinking creatively, says
this physician.
We all love the idea of innovation. Most of
us don’t walk around saying that, but who among us would
want to live without our cell phones, computers, cars, planes,
and all the other products of creative genius. For the
physician, we’re grateful for the high-tech diagnostic
devices, miracle drugs and vastly improved surgical techniques
common in our daily practices.
Yet very few doctors are willing to
classify themselves as innovators—I know because I never
thought about innovation as being a part of my own life. The
truth for myself and other physicians is quite different. We in
medicine are among the prime beneficiaries of advancements in
science and research and have the education, background, and
capabilities to foster creativity and innovation in both our
daily practices and the larger world of medicine.
Before you dismiss the idea of creativity
and innovation as fanciful, consider the situation of an agile
seven-footer with a remarkable talent for shooting baskets.
He’s offered a scholarship to play for a major
university. Scouts say he’s a definite NBA prospect. He
could say no and stay home working at the local convenience
store; that’s his right, but it certainly seems like a
waste of talent, ability, and most of all opportunity.
The reality of creativity
While we might be inclined to believe that
creativity is limited to the realm of the arts or to the
special few who are “gifted” in this area,
that’s far from reality. Creativity is a skill that can
be taught and learned. Like medicine, it requires a commitment
coupled with time and hard work.
Just what is creativity? Researchers
Michael Mumford and Sigrid Gustafson say it involves the
production of ideas, “the recognition of
possibilities,” and the development of “a form of
problem-solving ability.” They point out that creativity
is also reflected in the external recognition of professional
achievement and the judgments of knowledgeable peers or
supervisors.
All of this evidence of creativity’s
manifestations points to the real results that we and the rest
of society cherish: “novel, socially valued
products.” I believe this is the best way for us to look
at creativity, because it allows us to see, measure, and judge
its worth.
In simplest terms, creativity is a means
for accomplishing your goals and solving problems that you
encounter on a daily basis. When you realize that creativity is
a well-defined process, you begin to grasp that it is truly an
art and science available to us all.
The steps of innovation
Research into the nature of innovation
reveals a series of steps that lead to new ideas. They
represent a path you can follow when confronted with any
problem. Perhaps you’ve reached a blockage in your office
and you need to change workflows. Maybe a surgical technique
you’re using is not producing the best results and you
need to consider how you can alter what you’re doing to
benefit your patients.
Creativity consists of five
components– a five-step process to innovation:
1. Preparation, 2. Frustration,
3. Identification, 4. Deliberation, and
5. Illumination
Preparation is your training and education,
conversations with experts, reading and study. Frustration
comes when you recognize that you have a problem that you want
to change. Identification is made up of careful study of the
situation or problem and requires articulating it to yourself
and others. Deliberation is taking the time to ruminate over
what you’ve learned and allowing the ingredients to bake
in the oven of your subconscious. Illumination is the idea that
springs forth—sometimes unexpectedly—when all
elements are in place.
How long it takes for the idea to come
forth is very much a function of the first three steps. The
more prepared, the more frustrated, and the more clearly you
define the problem, the faster quality ideas will flow. Of the
first three steps, I believe preparation is the primary
component that will allow you to step up and begin to solve the
problem. If you see the difficulty as small and not really
worth your attention, ideas will not be forthcoming at the same
rate and quality than if you were to see a vexing problem you
must solve immediately.
By following the five-step process, you
learn to recognize problems and find innovative solutions for
them. For many of you, this will mean transforming your
practice and the way you serve your patients and that will be
enough. For others, nurturing the creative spark will lead you
to turn your ideas into tangible products, sometimes even
building entire companies based on them.
Being creative is being responsible
Practicing creativity and innovation
isn’t about just making your own life better and more
productive, although that is certainly a worthy and important
goal. The true objective is to become the kind of person who is
willing and able to change the profession in ways that benefit
not only doctors, but also patients and everyone else who has a
stake in our nation’s health-care system.
On a global level, tapping into our
creativity in a dedicated and thoughtful manner gives us the
opportunity to begin to solve some of society’s most
intractable problems. At the very least, it allows us to ask
the right questions, and that’s perhaps the most
important step of all.
While the creative process can be used by
anyone in any field, physicians—like the talented
seven-footer I mentioned earlier—are uniquely suited to
be innovative. We have the domain-specific training that puts
us on the front lines of medicine. No one is in a better
position to understand the problems confronting health care.
Yet, by and large, most of the decisions that affect the field
today are made by non-physicians such as government regulators,
insurance company executives, and others. This must change.
Physicians are still among the respected
and admired members of society. Our patients entrust their
health to us and, as a result, we carry a responsibility to use
our positions for the good of humanity.
Clearly fostering innovation in your life
and career is not easy. It does require concentration, effort,
and perseverance. Answers to problems do not always come
easily, but for those who seek solutions they are there to be
found. g
Jeffrey S. Grossman, MD is the author of
Innovative Doctoring: Solutions Lie Within Us. He is a
non-surgical spine and pain specialist with Peachtree Spine
Physicians. He may be reached at jgrossman@peachtreespine.com.
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