Here’s a conversation somebody should have had with an empty chair.
Let’s pretend the chair is U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
“You know, Mr. Holder, we pay doctors as if they're sewing shirtwaists in some sweatshop loft in New York's garment district in the 19th century. If they whip in some more-elaborate stitching, so to speak, we try to keep track of that and pay them a little more, but basically, we just pay them like pieceworkers.
“So, Mr. Holder, work with me on this analogy.
“Let's suppose, instead of making them sew (i.e., treat patients) the old-fashioned way, whipping in stitches (I mean documenting their work) with needle (pen) in hand, let's make them all get pedal-powered sewing machines (by that, of course, I mean electronic health-record systems).
“Old ways die hard, Mr. Holder, and the best of these machines are, admittedly, kinda clunky, but still, I think we can sell the docs on switching over to them by explaining that once they buy and install the machines and once they figure out how to use them, they should be able to crank out in a given day a lot more shirtwaists (by that, I mean patient visits).
“But this is the real selling point, Mr. Holder. With the machines, the docs' production of the more-difficult, intricately stitched shirtwaists (the more thoroughly evaluated patients) will jump. That'll be good for the patients and docs, particularly if we don't change the piece rate.
"So, the sales staffs of the machine vendors will sell the docs on the machines by saying they're gonna make a lot more money. It's brilliant.
“We can try this first as a pilot, Mr. Holder. Then, we'll toss in a few billion bucks for down payments on new machines. We'll get all that money back and more through the docs' increased productivity.
“But wait, just thinking out loud here: Won't we have to pay the docs more? Because once they get handy with these machines, they'll produce more, especially the higher-cost stuff.
“What's that, Mr. Holder? You've got an idea? Cut the docs' piece rate, right?
“No?
“What?
“Accuse the docs of fraud?
"Really?
“You're kidding, right?
“You'll come off like Claude Raines in Casablanca.
“Didn't we just tell the docs to use the machines?
“And what if this all comes down in an election year?
“OK, so you figure, it's a big country, someone will have to be using the machines up against the chalk lines. Right, and then you say, 'I'm shocked, shocked!' Just like Claude Raines. We'll have a couple of show trials and the docs will dial it down on their own.
“Beautiful!
“Do you really think it will work?
“Nah, me neither.”
