Non physicians are defining everything from quality patient care to physician competence. What!

A national speaker at my undergrad college once said, “if you can control the dictionary, you can rule the world.” As physicians we have lost control of the dictionary in healthcare and no longer control the meaning of terms in the healthcare debate. It is imperative that doctors regain influence if not full control by doing some of the following:

1. Become more knowledgeable about healthcare issues by watching more CSPAN and less CNN.
2. Actively participating in the development and implementation of policies and procedures in the hospitals where we practice.
3. Actively participating in medical staff leadership positions in our hospitals
4. Redefine the words in healthcare legislation by running for political office instead of retiring at age 65.

Arguably, we are experiencing the greatest healthcare transformation in our nation’s history. The effect of healthcare reform, pro or con, will not depend on words used by politicians. The effect will depend on the definition of those words as implemented from the healthcare dictionary.

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William T. Choctaw MD JD is a healthcare leadership expert. He lectures nationally on many medical legal issues for hospital medical staffs, hospital executives, and managers. He recently authored the book, “Avoiding Medical Malpractice: A Physician’s Guide to the Law.” Dr. Choctaw continues to practice general surgery in Southern California.

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