As healthcare becomes increasingly complex, it also becomes more difficult for providers and consumers to manage and navigate industry issues.
But one website, Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™, aims to make that process easier.
Here are nine things to know about the website and its developer.
The website
1. Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ was developed and is curated by Jonathan Metsch, DrPH. Scott Becker, JD, CPA, publisher of Becker's Healthcare, stated, "Jonathan is a very smart, original and interesting thinker," and "his website/blog contains brilliant insights."
2. The idea for Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ began after Dr. Metsch returned to teaching Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration courses. At the time, he began posting articles on a learning management system called Blackboard. In a Lessons Learned exercise students were asked to evaluate their organizations' performance against industry disruption and innovation. The approach eventually evolved into Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™.
3. Dr. Metsch's premise for the website is: "Successful medical care is more likely when there is an open, two-way discussion, between patient and doctor." He poses the question: "Are you comfortable in asking your physician all the questions you have about your health concerns and diagnostic and treatment options: evidenced based medicine vs. best practices; narrow networks and out-of-network referrals; hospitalist care vs. care inpatient care managed by your PCP [primary care physician]; immediate treatment or 'watchful' waiting; necessary or unnecessary testing?"
4. Dr. Metsch describes Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ as an organic syllabus — updated daily. He also describes it as "a versatile platform for customized program development," a one-minute-a-day briefing for medical staff, an up-to-date "click" for a board of trustee member, and a bibliography for medical and nursing students, residents, and healthcare MBA/ MPH courses.
5. Within the website, there are numerous categories. For instance, the website features JNotes, which focuses on anchor policy and program topics related to healthcare, as well as Health Insurance 101, which provides information on types of insurance coverage, provider networks and insurance cost, among other topics. Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ also features a section on the Affordable Care Act and a Rapid Response section that provides breaking healthcare news.
Dr. Metsch
6. Dr. Metsch was president and CEO of Jersey City (N.J.) Medical Center for 17 years.
7. During his tenure at Jersey City Medical Center, from 1989-2006, the medical center received numerous designations, including regional Perinatal center, Level II trauma center and medical coordination center for statewide disaster preparedness. The medical center also began cardiac surgery/ interventional cardiology, and became a major teaching affiliate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, among other accomplishments.
8. Previously, he also was a commissioner of the Hoboken (N.J.) Municipal Hospital Authority, and the organizer and co-chairman of the Hoboken H1N1 Swine Flu Task Force.
9. Currently, Dr. Metsch is clinical professor of preventive medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City; adjunct professor of management at Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College's business school in New York City; and adjunct professor of Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration in Newark, N.J., and Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway Township, N.J.
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