The Value of Good News

Today I got a call at work from my children's daycare. The first thought that went through my mind was "Uh oh, who's sick?" Then it was, "Did I forget to pack bottles for Callen?" It even flashed through my mind that maybe my husband forgot to drop the kids off this morning. But to my surprise, it was the caregiver who takes care of my 7-month old son, and she was calling just to let me know that he was having a great day. This woman interrupted a project I was working on and sparked unnecessary anxiety in me, but even still, the news she delivered made my day!

In health care, we have to deliver bad news all the time. Sometimes that's telling a patient his blood pressure is high; other times it's reporting that a routine test result came back abnormal; and still other times it's telling a family member that their loved one didn't make it through the night. We never like delivering bad news, but it's part of our jobs. But what about good news? Our patients come to us every day, many fearing -- even just a little -- that we are going to give them bad news, and hoping that we will tell them everything is or will be okay.

So, why do some providers still use a "no news is good news" policy?

From a safety standpoint, this policy leaves significant room for error. What if the test never actually happens? What if negative results never get passed along to the patient and the patient goes on believing that everything is okay. Further, though, how long does a patient worry? If I don't hear back in a day or two am I clear? Maybe I should wait a week? Maybe a few weeks? The "no new is good news" policy minimally reduces workload for the provider, but is it in the best interests of our patients? Undoubtedly no.

Delivering good news should be a part of our jobs. Not only do patients deserve to know that they are healthy, but the delivery of good news can help a patient feel confident in his provider and ultimately strengthen the patient/provider relationship. Before today, I thought my daycare was really good. I knew that they kept an eye on my kids and would react appropriately on the rare occasions when things went wrong. But most days are good days in the life of a child (even though it doesn't always feel that way!), and now I know that they keep on eye on the good things, too. Thank you, Bergan Mercy Child Care, for all that you do!