The following commentaries are the most-read postings from HCI's Blogosphere. To read other postings and leave your comments and questions, visit http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/blogs, register with a username and password, and make your voice heard.

17 Killer Interview Questions…Posted on: 11.4.2008 11:26:02 AM Posted by Tim Tolan

In a book I coauthored earlier this year titled, “The CEO's Guide to Talent Acquisition,” we highlighted a list of questions that a hiring managers should consider using in the interviewing process. It's not rocket science and… I am in NO way suggesting that this is a complete and comprehensive list of questions. I am only suggesting that you might find some of these questions interesting the next time you conduct an in-person interview. Whether you use some of these questions or a list of your own, you should try to create an interview questionnaire that you follow in each interview session. It will make the interview flow much better and give you a way to benchmark and compare answers to the same questions.

• What question do you have for me right away?

• What would really surprise me about you? What else?

• What's your real motivation to change jobs? No, the real reason (test, re-test).

• What's your philosophy on goal setting?

• What reading material would I find on your coffee table, nightstand, kitchen table, car?

• Tell me a story about you, placed in an ethical dilemma, and what happened?

• How did you earn money while in college?

• How far away from home have you traveled? (Have a map on your desk)

• Draw me a pie chart showing how you spend an 8-hour day.

• Are you a curious person, and if so, show me an example.

• What's your favorite success story and failure story?

• What should I have asked you that I haven't?

• Want to be a millionaire? Why? What are you doing to prepare for it?

• How would your world change if you made $35,000 more next year?

• Are you ready to resign from your job in 5 days? What will they do when you quit? What will they say about you after you have left the company?

• Share some stories about the 4 most influential people you know.

• Have you ever created a 30, 60, 90-day strategic plan for your job or a future job? (Well, today's their lucky day)

Happy interviewing!!!

Voice Recognition Digital DictationPosted on: 11.10.2008 10:02:33 AM Posted by Marc Deary

Voice recognition or Speech recognition (also known as automatic speech recognition or computer speech recognition) converts spoken words to machine-readable input. Digital dictation is a method of recording and editing spoken word in real-time within a digital audio format. - Wikipedia Oct. 2008

Digital dictation in the healthcare space is definitely nothing new, but in recent years voice recognition digital dictation has become very popular among clinicians, especially radiologists and pathologists. In the past, healthcare professionals would recite their clinical findings or exam results into a handheld tape recorder or tape-based phone system. The recording would then be played back by a transcriptionist who typed out the dictation for approval. This tape-based process was replaced by digital recorders during the digital revolution, along with cassette tapes and most other tape recording media.

Digital recorders gave us improved speed and better sound quality, but still required playback and transcribing services. The most recent evolution in dictation brought us computer-based digital dictation via voice (speech) recognition software, which allows for real time transcribing and self editing. Basically, the user trains the software application to recognize his or her voice and style of speaking to produce the dictation with a microphone connected to the PC. Once a voice profile is created, the user can dictate very accurate reports or commands almost as quickly as they can speak.

(To read the posting in its entirety, visit http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/marc_deary.)

SEAK, an eclectic Cape Cod-based organization offers some insights.

Inspired by Tim Tolan's provocative post (left), I've posted here a link and a high-level outline of Steven Babitsky: ‘Physicians Personal Career Inventory.’ Although directed at practicing physicians, the career growth considerations for CIOs and other CXOs working in healthcare are common:

• The level of support from their spouse/significant other

• Desire to relocate?

• Financial situation

• What are your strengths, skills and abilities?

• Additional training

• What is your passion?

• What makes you unique?

Babitsky, a recovering attorney and successful career transitioner, concludes as follows:

• [People] who are considering a career transition should take a critical look at their current situation. They should be prepared to take a personal career inventory.

• [People] who start their transition with an honest look at their current situation, abilities, talents and passions will be on the way to a successful career transition.

• It seems that Babitsky might have communicated, through the priority sequence here, something deeply important about an objective self-assessment. What do you think?

In Philadelphia, They're Building the New Healthcare from the Ground UpPosted on: 10.23.2008 4:21:37 PM Posted by Mark Hagland

Sometimes, you've just got to build it yourself. That's how David Nash, M.D., one of the leaders of the quality and outcomes movement in American healthcare, describes his decision to lead the launch of a new school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

I've known Dr. Nash for many years, and have always been impressed not only with his knowledge and vision, but also his energy and drive. He's a virtual one-person publishing industry, having published many books and literally many hundreds of journal articles, and given countless speeches and presentations. He is one of the physicians whom I most respect for helping to push his doctor colleagues forward on the path towards evidence-based medicine. And he certainly is one of the most dynamic people I've ever met.

Well, now, Dr. Nash is moving forward on a whole new front. Not content to have an office of outcomes and policy research at Thomas Jefferson University, he has led a group of fellow clinician and policy leaders in creating the new Jefferson School of Health Policy & Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University. The new school will open for classes in the fall of 2009, and Dr. Nash called me recently to tell me all about it. Even for David Nash, this represents an ambitious undertaking. But he's dead serious about the need to change healthcare in America, starting with the training of clinicians and public health professionals. The new school will offer a variety of master's and doctoral degrees, including an innovative combined medical degree/quality and safety degree. Nash believes strongly in the idea of pushing quality in healthcare from the ground up, including as part of the core curricula of healthcare degree programs. In other words, get ‘em while they're still new to healthcare careers. What's more, he wants clinicians and other healthcare professionals to learn about IT and its contribution to healthcare transformation.

(To read the posting in its entirety, visit http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/mark_hagland.)