1. Healthcare
Canada’s healthcare solutions magazine
Volume 4, Issue 2 March/April 2010
Business
analytics is
key ingredient
for quality
healthcare
MAPS Health Suite
helps address the
nurse shortage and
alleviate its impact on
patient care >16
Electronic stethoscope
with Bluetooth wireless
capability introduced to
Canada >22
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2. Medical education in Canada – a prescription for change
Healthcare
Canada’s healthcare solutions magazine
2010 marks the hundred-year anniversary of the 6. Diversify Learning Contexts
www.healthcaremagazine.ca Flexner Report – a study of medical education 7. Value Generalism
Volume 4, Issue 2 in Canada and the United States. Since that 8. Advance Inter- and Intra-Professional
March/April 2010 time, there have been countless changes in med- Practice
ical practice, Canada’s healthcare system and 9. Adopt a Competency-Based and Flexible
Editor Morena Zanotto
mzanotto@baumpub.com population, and the availability of medical and Approach
pedagogical technologies. Yet there has been no 10. Foster Medical Leadership
Associate Editor Lee Toop
ltoop@baumpub.com
comprehensive study of the Canadian system of Implementing the recommendations will
medical education in 100 years – until now. significantly enhance Canadian MD education,
Editorial Director Lawrence Buser The Association of Faculties of Medicine optimize health care delivery, and ultimately
lbuser@baumpub.com
recently released a report titled: The Future of improve the health status of all Canadians.
Editorial Production Assistant Natasha Kanji Medical Education in Canada (FMEC): A Col- The physician’s educational continuum is
nkanji@baumpub.com lective Vision for MD Education. The report is lifelong, starting prior to medical school admis-
National Sales Manager David Gilmour the culmination of a 30-month project funded by sion and extending through MD education,
Phone: 604-291-9900 ext. 232 Health Canada which examines medical educa- residency and fellowship training programs,
dgilmour@baumpub.com tion in the country. and into practice (continuing medical educa-
Production Manager Tina Anderson Ten evidence-based priority areas for change tion). This systematic review of MD educa-
production@baumpub.com emerged from this report. The 10 recommenda- tion was just the first step in
Circulation Manager Robin McCabe tions are as follows: creating a collective vision for
circulation@baumpub.com 1. Address Individual and Community the future of medical education
Needs in Canada. The next will be an
Web Master Ariel Savion-Lemieux
ariel@baumpub.com 2. Enhance Admissions Processes indepth review of postgraduate
3. Build on the Scientific Basis of Medicine medical training in Canada and,
Internet Sales & Marketing Manager Ken Singer
4. Promote Prevention and Public Health finally, a review of continuing
ksinger@baumpub.com Morena Zanotto
5. Address the Hidden Curriculum medical education.
Editor
Controller Melvin Date Chong
mdatechong@baumpub.com
in this issue
Publisher Engelbert J. Baum
ebaum@baumpub.com
Baum Publications Ltd. Features
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Healthcare magazine is published six times yearly: January/ new way to retire old technology to
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system and save money begin treating
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10 Maximizing employee in-transit
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authors and not necessarily those of Baum Publications Ltd.
14 Business analytics is key
ingredient for quality
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Healthcare March/April 2010 5

3. education and training
Maximizing employee potential:
Data-driven tool shows the way
by David S. Lahey the best people has never been more press- one that came as rather a surprise. “Initially,
ing. Canada’s aging population means that our primary driver for a more objective
O
ne of the most important decisions 20 percent of its workforce will be retir- assessment tool was hiring,” says Halpert.
any organization can make is hiring ing in the next five years. “PI has proven a “But when we parlayed that into better un-
the right people to help run it. With vital tool in succession planning too,” says derstanding our existing employees, another
so much at stake it’s a wonder many employ- Halpert. “By using it with existing employ- set of opportunities opened up to us.”
ers, including those in healthcare, still rely ees we can ensure not only that they are in TBRHSC’s strong culture of teamwork
so heavily on the traditional job interview jobs where they can truly shine, but that we to get things done is demonstrated by
to determine who to bring on board. The develop them in line with future needs.” the existence of its Great Organizational
trouble with using this one single method is So, what exactly is “personality” and Team – or GO Team. This internal consult-
that it’s an inherently unscientific and sub- how do you test it? Personality is determined ing group works to transform good teams
jective approach, laden with possibilities for by traits which explain why an individual into great teams and uses PI to help them
error. Increasingly, smart organizations are behaves in characteristic ways. Traits are do this. “Each team member completes the
moving beyond traditional hiring methods relatively stable over time, are partly inher- test and results are discussed openly,” says
by incorporating more reliable, data-driven ited and genetically determined and can be Halpert. “It provides valuable insight into
tools in their recruitment practices, tools described and measured accurately. Impor- what makes each individual tick and enables
such as personality assessments. This type of tantly, in relation to hiring, personality traits better understanding within the team as to
tool can also be used to help maximize the have a direct and substantial impact on job how to bring out the best in each other.”
contribution of existing employees. performance. In fact, PI Worldwide research The GO Team’s work was recognized by an
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences indicates that between 20 to 25 percent of award for innovation at the 2008 Celebrating
Centre (TBRHSC) is a state-of-the-art acute an employee’s effectiveness on the job is Innovations in Health Care Expo, in Toronto.
care teaching hospital serving people living attributable to personality. As 2010 unfolds, the pressure remains for
in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. Personality assessment tools have healthcare organizations to find new ways
It’s been using the Predictive Index (PI) per- actually been around for quite some time. to make more informed staffing decisions,
sonality assessment tool, available in Canada Decades ago corporations used them mainly reduce risk and get the most from their most
for three years through Predictive Success to identify the characteristics of their hardest important asset – their people. Clearly, per-
Corporation, for hiring, team-building and workers to replicate them through hiring sonality tests have a lot to offer. It’s up to the
career development. or emulation. Today’s more refined tests organization to consider their various appli-
Don Halpert, chief human resources of- focus on understanding employees better cations in light of priorities. A good start is
ficer for TBRHSC, had used PI at a previous and determining what motivates them. The to ask “Where do we need to be in five years
healthcare employer and was quick to intro- PI measures traits such as extroversion, and how best can my people help us get
duce it to his current organization. “We were dominance, patience and formality by asking there?” Then ask yourself if you can really
having some challenges with our selection individuals to describe themselves both as afford not to bring the personality test along
process for managers and wanted to improve they see themselves and as the way others with you, as you embark on your journey.
our ability to ensure job fit,” says Halpert. see them by checking off a list of adjectives. Predictive Success Corporation
“I knew from experience that PI draws out A software program then calculates and Web link: baumpub.com/HC1083
information about a candidate’s personal- analyses the results.
ity and likely job performance that you just Increasingly, businesses of all sizes and About the Author: David
can’t get through an interview; even through in all industries are recognizing personality S. Lahey is the president of
the rigourous committee-based interview tests as powerful people management tools. Predictive Success Corpo-
approach that we use.” Halpert also points In fact, The Aberdeen Group, in a 2009 ration (www.predictivesuc-
out the value of the test results in terms of study showed 61 percent of the better-man- cess.com), the Canadian
focusing the interview. “The candidate and aged companies were using at least one type licensee of international
the search committee members get a copy of of personality assessment, such as reference management consulting
the test results prior to the interview and it’s checks, intelligence tests or personality tests firm PI Worldwide. He is a
a great discussion starter,” he says. “We can – and often more than three. guest lecturer at Ryerson
hone in on areas that need to be explored and Personality tests can also help optimize and Queen’s Universities and a speaker at HR
the candidate is usually very interested in the mentoring opportunities and create more associations across Canada. He has authored
results and welcomes further discussion.” effective teams. Team building is now a key two best-selling books. David has an MBA from
The need for TBRHSC to hire and retain area for implementing PI at TBRHSC, but Queen’s University.
10 March/April 2010 Healthcare