Why the Right Questions Matter
The Amazing Difference
- Location-based Triggers
- Urgent Checklist
- Physician Guidance
- Cost Savings
What Happened
Jack is in the ER waiting for the physician to see his 14-year-old daughter Lindsey. She was in the middle of a basketball game when she collided with another player and fell to the ground. Her head abruptly hit the floor.
When the doctor came in the room, he asked Lindsey and Jack a few questions about what had happened. After a very thorough exam, he said, “Young lady, it looks like you were lucky. You seem okay – perhaps a minor concussion, but that’s it.” Then, turning to Jack, the doctor continued, “We’ll just do a quick CT scan to make sure we’re not missing anything and you should be on your way in an hour.”
When they had first pulled into the hospital’s ER parking lot, they had crossed an Amaze geo-fence which triggered a pop-up message on Jack’s phone. It said: “Hope everything is okay. Don’t let us slow you down if it’s not. But if you’d like to talk to an ER physician right now, just click here.”
At the time, Jack had declined the pop-up, not wanting to waste any time. Once in the waiting room, however, he remembered the message and opened the Amaze app. He read a data sheet and watched a quick video on concussions. He also reviewed a list of questions he had learned in the Amaze class – questions to always be thinking about.
So, when the doctor now said Lindsey had a minor concussion and that they would “just do a quick CT scan,” Jack decided to ask a couple of those questions:
“Doctor, is there any alternative? What if we don’t do the CT scan?”
The doctor seemed taken aback for a second, but then asked, “Are you worried about the cost?”
“It’s not that,” Jack replied. “I’m mostly concerned about the fact that a CT scan contains a lot of radiation, which could lead to cancer. I would just rather avoid it.”
The doctor answered, “Well, honestly, I don’t think it’s essential to do the CT scan. If we don’t, though, I’d really like to keep Lindsey for an hour or so for observation.” Jack gladly agreed.
As the doctor left the room, Jack thought to himself, “Wow! We just saved thousands of dollars
