Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “17 Inches: A Baseball Metaphor That Has Healthcare Implications” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in April 2021.
How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “17 Inches: A Baseball Metaphor That Has Healthcare Implications” April 2021. Accessed Jul 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/17-inches-a-baseball-metaphor-that-has-healthcare-implications/
17 Inches: A Baseball Metaphor That Has Healthcare Implications – Summary:
Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, offers advice on maintaining standards in a medical practice. He provides common examples from physician lateness to addressing after-hours patient calls for routine medication refills. Instead of “widening the plate” as the baseball metaphor goes, Dr. Baum insists that doctors must hold themselves accountable to the same standards as those they serve. For example, if a doctor is consistently late, thereby requiring staff to make excuses for them, they should consider whether they would accept such behavior from a patient. Or if a payor denies a request for a procedure or medication based on a prior authorization requirement, should the doctor continue to accept this payor knowing that they may create additional work and future delays? Dr. Baum proposes physicians maintain their standards instead of modifying their protocols or behavior to accommodate others.
For more commentary on practice management and telemedicine from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.
