The Immersion Principle

In college we were required to take a foreign language to graduate, and if you read through the information you figured out that with one additional class and a study aboard you could get a minor.  This was a no brainer for me – I got to go to Spain all in the name of education.    The purpose of the study abroad was to immerse student into the language and the culture.  Unlike a class which trickled information into your glass slowly with finite precision allowing you to drink at reasonable pace – a study abroad throws you into the lake with a small life vest and expects you to learn quickly how to tread water.   

Have you been immersed in the culture and the environments of the people you are developing products for?  Technologist, if you are in the business of creating a “business” is it really worth it?  Can you truly attach passion to it?  As for me and my house – we don’t think it’s a long term answer.   Passion comes from creating tools that really help people. 

I met some really great folks at the Connexall User conference in Toronto.   One was Craig Martin an “IT Guy” from University of Michigan Health System.  Craig and his IT team have immersed themselves into the different units to gain clear knowledge of clinical needs.    Craig described his goal of disintegrating silos and creating more effectiveness in development and decision making ideals around purchasing and creating healthcare products.   The formula is really quite simple from a high level view -  it’s to become the foreign exchange student on the clinical unit – to immerse yourself in the culture and life of the people who will be most affected by the choices on technology - the end user.  On a hospital level Craig’s “Immersion Principle” takes a person from IT and attaches them to the hip of a nurse to experience a day or week in the life of someone who is directly engaged in patient care.  Craig said  “We in healthcare IT cannot hide from the sometimes overwhelming things that go on in our hospitals.” 

I am impressed by this team they were focused on creating environments for better care by utilizing technology as an enabling tool.  I can’t say that of every hospital.   

Technologist – when was the last time you stepped foot in a hospital for something other than a sales call?  Where does your passion for product come from? Is it in a paycheck or is it in the realization that what you are doing is making a difference in the lives of the sick and helpless.  This which we do for the least of our brothers…….

After being in the hospital with #4 for a week – I will never look at a call light system the same again.  My passion is in the eyes of that sick baby.

When you immerse yourself into a culture – your perspective is forever changed.   Do you need an inspiration?  Spend a day on the floor of a hospital with a nurse doing nothing but observing – not selling, not creating, just observe.  Let their reality become your reality.  

When Our Use becomes "Meaningless"

I recently read a blog post by Regina Holiday that was both incredibly moving and really thought provoking. Regina lost her husband to cancer and has recounted the experience throguh art and speaking. She has gained national attention because of her patient’s rights movement her voice emphasized through murals. Sometimes words are not enough.
She along with other noted leaders like E-patient Dave are paving the way for more information - better information- to let patients make informed decisions. The point that stuck out to me was the concept that the medical information could be presented to the family in a format as easy to read as the Nutrition Facts label. While I don't want to discount the difficulties to do this nationwide with consistent standards - it just makes sense. People didn't understand what everything on the nutrition label meant initially, but now most of us know sodium # high = bad. (I could soap box for days on the unhealthiness of the US and our unwillingness to read the label and make good choices but that's a different post for a different blog)
All of the “bring it to basics” mentality brought me to reflect on the creation of Sphere3. It came out of frusteration that all the creatvivity in the world associated with integration was thwarted due to the difficulties associated with trying to communicate the functional process. (that was a mouthful) In other words most geeks want to tell people "how" it's done instead of "what" will occur.

The "what" to me is like writing a book or a movie - there are characters, there are scenes, ther are props, and if all is done correctly there are great reviews. It makes what we do in integration design look really simple, which is good. My theory (which is shared by many) is a Nurse needs to be concerned with the patient and things that cannot be replaced by technology. There is nothing more frustrating then being handed additional technology to “make life better” which just complicates life more. Nurses should spend a majority of their time helping people – not fiddling with unnecessary technology.
This is a scene from my own life – and I encourage you to remember a scene from yours that will help you focus on the clinician and the patient. Remembering that the technology should be complimentary – the people should be the main focus.

One night, when BFB (Big Fat Baby - see our story) was in the hospital, he was having difficulty breathing. The Oxygen reader (aka 02 Sat) began it ring. I was "sleeping" in the chair next to his bed, my head propped against the side of the crib my hand holding the fat fingers. I turned my head to see the machine (which I had learned to read a few days prior) and the numbers where dropping. At first, I thought his toe thing is loose, so I unwrapped him to find it firmly attached. I began to follow the cable to the machine to make sure it wasn't unattached. As I did the door opened and in came the RN, followed by the Respiratory Therapist. "Please step back Kourtney" she said stepping between me and my bundle.


In my head all I could hear was a warning announcement saying "Warning! This is not a drill...".My heart stopped and everything around me seemed to be in slow-motion as the night nurse and Respiratory Therapist (among others) began poking ,prodding , and suctioning (to this day I can hardly look at that suction when I walk into a patient room for work). His skin looked gray, his fat arms barely fought the team as they suctioned, and worst of all - he wasn't crying. So, I took on the role for him. Crying dosen't really describe what I was doing - sobbing unconctrollably - the kind of experience where you know at the end of it you will look like a prize fighter. David had emerged from the bed in the back of the room and tried to comfort me. We didn’t want to watch but it was like a train wreck that we couldn't help but watch. As it ended and it seemed as though someone gave the "all clear" signal - the nurse turned to me and I said "is he going to make it through this?” She was experienced, had as many gray hairs as my mom, and had kept her cool the entire time. The kind of person you want in a foxhole with you - bullets wouldn't faze her. "The worst is almost over" she said as she touched my arm and smiled. Though she didn't say it I knew she was saying "he's going to be fine". After the group left the room - I returned to my watch post at the side of the bed, reached in, and my fingers were met by the firm grip of BFB.

A Nurse’s primary role is to care for the patient - do things that we can't do ourselves. Her secondary role is to assure you - in a way that few can - that all will be ok. Neither of those things can be replaced by technology.

Our job as "technologists" - "integrators" - "geeks" is to enable these people to do what they do best - help with people. If what we do gets in the way of those roles our use is meaningless.