As a consultant, people often think my job is to breeze in,
examine the situation and goals and tell them what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth. My take on being a good consultant is that
you do your homework, become an “expert” on the topic at hand, network and
gather information on from others, and present this back to the client, so that
an informed decision can be made together. Yes, it takes longer, requires considerable
work but is always worth it in the end. The advantage is that most people are more
satisfied with decisions made by knowing as much as they can and matching
options to their personal life. The downside is sometimes the client does not
make the decision that I think they should.
The purpose, however, is that the goals of the client are met—and I
usually have to remind myself of this.
So what is the link to informatics—and in particular, nutrition
informatics? This is exactly the
patient-centered care our country is moving to.
Our culture of “following directions” from health care providers just
doesn’t work anymore. Patients
(consumers, individuals—I use the terms interchangeably) need to work with
their providers to make informed decisions (based upon the right information
being at the right place at the right time) that meet their own personal
objectives. Dietitians play the role of
presenting the scientific evidence at hand which supports decisions the patient
will make. We do the homework necessary
to make expert recommendations on choices for the patient. Technology can help
us do this if we use it creatively to support patient behavioral decisions—in a
collaborative fashion.
Every now and then, I challenge myself on why I have worked
as an independent consultant for 11 years—because it forces me to do my
homework, and work in a collaborative way
for the best results. This is the climate of health care, in particular driven
by HITECH:
transparent collaboration to achieve the best results, based upon input from
every sector that might help. What prompted me for this topic? One of my
daughters has a sign that mysteriously appeared on the wall outside her room
one day. It reads:
Believe in the best
think your best
act your best
do your best
and never ever
settle for less
than your best
Luckily many of us agree our best in achieved through shared,
collective thinking—collaboration for the best.