By Terri Wakefield, CMT

Our profession as medical documentation specialists requires us to be single-minded. However, the pressure and pace oftentimes diffuses our concentration and wanes our energy. I believe that there is a very good reason why so many in the healthcare field suffer burnout. We are often asked to go above and beyond the normal schedules in order to meet turnaround times and to help cover for those sick, taking a vacation, attending a meeting. Sometimes we are pushed (unfortunately) for production, even at the sacrifice of quality. Today’s world is full of distractions and a myriad of things that can affect our frame of mind. Just “muddling” through our particular jobs as documentation experts is not an option.

I am reminded of a commercial that says “You deserve a break today.” Well although that is true at times, a pervasive self-centered thought process can promote an eventual loss of vitality of spirit and decreasing engagement in the patient’s “story.” This can result in documents that include errors having a critical impact on patient’s care and a loss of integrity in the healthcare record.

So how shall we keep the focus we need? Here are a few strategies that might help. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but a sampling of ideas and tricks that I have used and that others have shared with me (some very recently).

• Start each work day afresh, reminding ourselves of the important part we play in regards to patient care. Make a conscious decision to declutter the mind and environment of distractions whenever possible. Our patients and customers deserve our utmost attention to the task at hand.
• Reign in negative thoughts that serve to sidetrack us. Even if there has been a negative work-related event, there is always room for a new beginning.
• Believe in ourselves, believe in our ability to make a positive impact for the patient, for the customer, for the employer.
• Don’t forget our “first love”–the excitement and passion we had when we first started this career.
• When listening to dictation, employ thought patterns that will help us stay engaged in the narration that is being dictated. For instance, someone shared with me recently that they pretend the patient is a loved one. I used to “play doctor” and tried to figure out what the diagnosis was going to be. Every report was a new mystery to solve. I bet each one of you have some process you use. The point here is to use it consistently.
• Remember that we are an integral partner with the dictator to accurately reflect the results of studies and course of treatment.
• Continue our education. Read and watch material that will increase our fund of knowledge. Attend meetings, lectures, webinars, and/or classes which will help us develop professionally.
• If we encounter something in the dictation that is new, research and read about it.
• Be a sponge: Soak up all the information pertinent for our work and sweep the mind clear of the sludge that may have settled in.

We have been given considerable responsibility as medical language specialists and documentation experts. Let’s turn blurry eyes into “20/10” vision (yes, it’s a pun for the year 2010), staying committed to our profession, even in its evolution, becoming the best of the best, enlightening the world to how necessary our presence and knowledge is, even in a technologically advanced world.