Last night I was chatting with a good friend of mine who is single and dating. She’s tried it all – online, blind dates, meeting guys at work, charity events – you name it, she’s been there looking. Some end nicely, others in disaster. But next week she’s going to try something different: Speed dating.
For those of you unfamiliar, groups of men and women attend and meet for 5 to 10 minutes with one another to get a general feel for the other. I must confess, I wish her all of the happiness in the world, but can’t wait to hear about this next installment in her dating diary.
So how does this relate to health care? Well, there’s a hospital in Texas that takes this same theme – speed dating – and puts it to good use in health care. The hospital invites physicians by specialty and patients in need of specific care to an event where they “speed date” to determine if they are a good match.
Patients love it because they don’t have to schedule various appointments with numerous doctors to find the best doctor for their pregnancy, or to care for their children, or whatever other service they are seeking. Physicians looking for patients love it. And the hospital uses it as a recruiting tool. Basically, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Think about the possibilities – shopping for health care – meeting with doctors to ask about their quality standards, practices and costs… something we should all be doing more of in health care.
Want to learn more about speed dating with docs? Read more on the Bedford Hospital on the cutting edge.
