editor’s perspective

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

BY JASON J. NICHOLS, OD, MPH, PHD, FAAO

This Rolling Stones classic song from the 1960s is considered by many to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, songs of all time. The song certainly reflects the frustrations of the trials and tribulations of the complicated facets of every day life. I am sure that you have days in practice during which these words accurately describe your thoughts and feelings. If you follow some of the social media groups and discussions that relate to patient attitudes or perceptions, there is no doubt as to the reasons why we often experience frustrations in clinical practice.

How often do you feel like you don’t get any satisfaction—and why? Is it when you are fitting a challenging irregular cornea? When you have exhausted all multifocal options for a difficult patient? When an insurance claim is denied? When the office staff is unsettled? When you can’t quite get a dry eye managed? The reasons are too many to list!

All this said, what if we focus on the opposite instead? Think about just how rewarding it is when you do conquer that irregular cornea, multifocal, or dry eye patient. Or, enjoy when things are rocking and rolling in your practice—the staff is doing outstanding, and revenues are trending up. This makes me wonder: Do you think that your patients can indirectly tell the difference between these two mindsets, even without you telling them? I don’t know for sure, but I would suspect that they can sense the difference.

There is an old quote from authors Dennis and Wendy Mannering that goes something like the following: “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?” I sure hope so.