Comparative Effectiveness In Health Care
In health care, we know comparative effectiveness research as the comparison of treatments to determine which carry the greatest benefits and harms for which patients, with results assisting patients and clinicians in making more informed health care decisions. It is about doing your homework and then making a bet.
Enter comparative effectiveness for meetings. Given that all resource allocation decisions have trade-offs, the least we can do is make choices based on evidence rather than emotions or personalities. Once the business case has been made for each meeting, and you have drawn a bright line in terms of home many meetings (as a percentage of overall time) you are in a position to prioritize and select the ones perceived to offer the
greatest value to the organization. Think of it as a responsible rationing of meetings if you like.
Meeting Rules
As previously noted heart surgeons have a term for unnecessary heart surgery – oculostenotic reflex and have defined it as the “irresistible temptation to expand narrowed coronary arteries, despite evidence-based guidelines” suggesting it should not be done. It is somewhat ironic that an industry that is replete with policies, procedures, and protocols for just about everything, often offers no guidance for among its must ubiquitous of activities. Perhaps we need a lofty name – meetingtitis? I have had the opportunity to review hundreds of sets of meeting rules and guidelines, mostly from other industries. As you might expect, many appear to be prepared by the Department of Redundancy Department. In the box below, are the Meeting Rules posted on the wall of the Portland, Oregon-based mobile apps start up Urban Airship. While some of the rules may be perceived as “edgy” and a challenge to your current culture, I find them refreshing and believe they are all worthy of an honest conversation.
Enter comparative effectiveness for meetings. Given that all resource allocation decisions have trade-offs, the least we can do is make choices based on evidence rather than emotions or personalities. Once the business case has been made for each meeting, and you have drawn a bright line in terms of home many meetings (as a percentage of overall time) you are in a position to prioritize and select the ones perceived to offer the
greatest value to the organization. Think of it as a responsible rationing of meetings if you like.
Meeting Rules
As previously noted heart surgeons have a term for unnecessary heart surgery – oculostenotic reflex and have defined it as the “irresistible temptation to expand narrowed coronary arteries, despite evidence-based guidelines” suggesting it should not be done. It is somewhat ironic that an industry that is replete with policies, procedures, and protocols for just about everything, often offers no guidance for among its must ubiquitous of activities. Perhaps we need a lofty name – meetingtitis? I have had the opportunity to review hundreds of sets of meeting rules and guidelines, mostly from other industries. As you might expect, many appear to be prepared by the Department of Redundancy Department. In the box below, are the Meeting Rules posted on the wall of the Portland, Oregon-based mobile apps start up Urban Airship. While some of the rules may be perceived as “edgy” and a challenge to your current culture, I find them refreshing and believe they are all worthy of an honest conversation.