Chapter 1450: Chapter 579: Tackling the Emergency Department Operating Room (Part 2)
Dr. Xu waved at him.
"Alright!"
The mentor and disciple knocked on Director Lou’s office door and walked in.
Fu Chachun, sitting in the doctor’s office, overheard the conversation between Zhou Can and Dr. Xu.
He couldn’t help but smirk, feeling even more vexed with Zhou Can.
This kid is just too stubborn. He’s been told it’s unnecessary to meddle in these things. A patient’s numb toe isn’t a big deal. Making such a fuss benefits no one.
No matter how much Director Lou values this kid, he couldn’t possibly let him run amok.
Fu Chachun saw that it was almost time to start work, so he picked up his consultation tools and headed to the Emergency Department’s surgical window for his shift.
Inside Director Lou’s office, Zhou Can and Dr. Xu’s joint visit took Director Lou by surprise.
After inviting the two to sit, Director Lou personally made tea for them.
"Has something happened?"
As the department head, his greatest fear is that something bad might happen within the department.
An unexpected patient death, disability, family disputes—each bad incident is enough to keep his nerves on edge.
"Xiao Zhou just told me outside that he had something he wanted to discuss with you and me. With time being tight, I didn’t ask for details."
Dr. Xu replied calmly.
"Whenever Xiao Zhou brings something up, it’s never a small matter. Tell me, what’s going on?"
Director Lou asked with a friendly demeanor.
"Director Lou, Teacher, it’s like this. I discovered that the number of ’repeat customers’ in our Emergency Department has significantly decreased recently. Upon investigation, I found that the quality of surgeries in the Emergency Department has seriously declined, presenting many worrisome issues. This is a follow-up survey compiled by Ye Tingting. Of ten surgeries, at least four fail to satisfy the patients. Post-surgery, patients experience various minor issues."
Zhou Can took out the survey he had prepared in advance.
Upon review, both Dr. Xu and Director Lou were greatly shocked. Perhaps they hadn’t realized that the seemingly booming Emergency Department was already facing such severe problems.
"We’re biting off more than we can chew here! The Emergency Department’s rapid development over the past two years has indeed left some hidden dangers. We’ve neglected the quality of surgeries."
Director Lou’s face was solemn, his brows furrowed like a knife.
As an ambitious department head, he definitely doesn’t want the Emergency Department to become bloated from rapid growth.
With his foresight, he immediately realized that if this issue isn’t addressed promptly, it could become a major hazard.
"The decline in word-of-mouth patients is certainly concerning. I’ve noticed it recently as well, but I didn’t think it was this severe. If we don’t train the newcomers, they can’t grow quickly. But if we loosen the conditions, we end up with such serious problems. It seems we need to think of ways to improve."
Dr. Xu, the main person in charge of the operating room, was also quite troubled.
The operating room has dozens of people, and managing it is not as easy as it seems.
Too much clarity means no fish in the water.
Being too strict can scare newcomers away from surgeries, leaving them with no opportunities for hands-on practice.
Being too lax leads to issues with surgery quality.
"It’s not just the newcomers; many of the veterans seem to have problems with their work attitudes as well."
Zhou Can believed that merely focusing on the newcomers’ surgery quality wouldn’t completely solve the problem.
To tackle the issue, it must be addressed at the root.
"Be more specific!"
Director Lou’s gaze shifted to Zhou Can.
"For example, during rounds yesterday, I found that some surgery patients have various minor issues. Some involve improper suturing, others involve incomplete surgeries, and some simply lack consideration for the patient’s interests. For instance, a minor procedure to remove a subcutaneous foreign object resulted in a horrifying wound on the patient’s thigh. The flap damage extended the wound healing time by at least twice, and it will leave an unsightly scar once healed."
"Although the scar is on the thigh, usually hidden by pants, it will certainly affect the patient’s psyche. Moreover, such scars tend to itch and hurt during rainy days."
Zhou Can pointed out the issues he discovered during rounds.
"Yesterday, I found a more typical case. A patient in Emergency Surgery Bed 1 had undergone a syndactyly separation surgery two days ago. Post-operatively, the third toe of the left foot became numb. This surgery was performed by Doctor Fu. I immediately called him to discuss and hopefully find a cause and solution for the patient. However, Doctor Fu believed it was better to leave things alone as long as the patient’s toes weren’t necrotic and were healing well."
"This morning, I conducted further examinations and tests on the patient. That toe has even lost its flexion function. If we clearly find an issue but still don’t address it, convincing the patient that it’s fine, and sending them home with vague reassurances, it stands to reason that this patient will turn from a loyal supporter of our hospital into a critic. She’ll eventually tell everyone that ’Tuya Hospital is untrustworthy; the doctors there crippled my toe and fooled me into thinking it was nothing.’"
He illustrated this typical case, prompting Dr. Xu and Director Lou to ponder.
"I understand Doctor Fu’s stance. Today’s medical environment is harsh, with sharp doctor-patient conflicts. Sometimes, doing good yields no good. Healthcare workers, despite their goodwill, often face attacks from patients and their families, which is indeed disheartening. Yet, for cases like these, confronting the issue and devising a solution that addresses the patient’s problem while protecting both parties’ interests would be ideal."
The issues Zhou Can raised might initially appear minor.
However, their negative impact is profound, essentially targeting the core interests of the hospital and doctors.
Doctors will undoubtedly resist.
They might even develop resentment.
Because it touches on the interests of every surgeon in the operating room.
"The patient in Bed 1 must be dealt with; we can’t just ignore it. Thorough communication with the patient and their family is necessary, securing their agreement for a potential second surgery as long as there’s hope. Nonetheless, there are uncontrollable elements; the patient and family might not want to bear the cost for another surgery, or they might think the hospital is dragging it out to earn more money. They might argue that the issue could have been addressed in a single surgery."
"Furthermore, if a second surgery is performed and the issue still isn’t resolved, what then? If the patient and family deem it a surgical mishap and sue, the hospital would be relatively speechless in defense."
Director Lou, with his extensive experience in handling medical disputes, predicted various unfavorable potential outcomes.
"In a hospital, benevolence is often easily slighted. Nearly every healthcare provider has felt disheartened during their growth. The problems Xiao Zhou mentioned should mainly be addressed at the root. Establishing a reward system that encourages getting the surgery right the first time, rather than being complacent during the first surgery and relying on a second surgery to rectify issues, is key."
Dr. Xu maintained a serious demeanor as he proposed the first solution.
"Old Xu is right; addressing root causes is crucial. It’s like treating a disease; prevention is far more beneficial than post-disease treatment. You and Xiao Zhou should together devise a feasible reward and punishment system. I’ll approve it for submission to the Medical Department. Once approved, it will be implemented immediately. The emergency department’s surgery quality has reached a shocking state and requires immediate rectification."
Director Lou promptly gave guidance and strongly endorsed Dr. Xu’s proposal.
"Addressing root causes is indeed wise, but it’s impractical to have someone constantly overseeing the operating table. This would increase the surgeon’s pressure, hindering performance and potentially causing issues during surgery. I suggest developing a post-surgery evaluation system. Each surgery would be assessed and scored across multiple criteria. Surgeries scoring below the standard would be penalized, while maintaining a score above standard would be rewarded."
Zhou Can immediately suggested a more detailed method.
"This is an excellent suggestion! Choosing the evaluators will be entrusted to Old Xu."
Director Lou’s eyes lit up, readily agreeing to Zhou Can’s plan.
The criteria for selecting evaluators are stringent; they must be highly skilled and fair-minded.
