I recently read the article, “Perfectionism will kill you.”
Our perfectionism is often worn like a badge of honor. It signifies our complete commitment, at times at the expense of others. Wanting to do your best job is what drives “good” perfectionism. Woody Allen quipped, “80 percent of life is just showing up.” And the other 20 percent is reserved for perfectionists.
Success often comes from attention to detail, something perfectionists know about. Just ask, and you may get more than you bargained for. The key to keeping the urge in check is to recognize that such striving can take its toll on us. As an example, consider successful modern cataract and lens implant surgery. Painless, and with the rapid return of vision so common, it becomes the thrill of victory for the surgeon, the drug of choice. Expectations are so high for both surgeon and patient that when all goes extremely well, we begin to take such surgical success for granted. We get hooked on the patients’ adoration and thrive on homemade baked goods delivered to our offices personally by grateful patients. Every patient that went to that extent of gratitude deserved a thank you note from me. I gave away most of the baklava to the techs.
Even perfectionists recognize the benefit of compassion for patients since you never know when a complication may arise. You need to remain on the patient’s side for the duration of the journey. “I’m so sorry you are going through this, and I will do whatever it takes to get you through this.” Perhaps that is what the author alluded to with the Golden Rule as it applies to health care. How would you, the perfectionist that you are, feel if you were in that patient’s shoes? How much would those words of support relieve anxiety? Call it empathy, and it matters.
The final recommendation to ponder: If you suffer negative consequences from “bad” perfectionist behavior, face the music. Just like a tough case you need to refer out from your own medical practice, don’t contain it. Give yourself a shot at an outside force for support, whether a friend, a spouse, a partner, or a professional counselor.
It takes courage by perfectionists to acknowledge that there are going to be examples of “the best is the enemy of good.” “Good enough,” in the current health care landscape of payment for desired outcomes, may be acceptable if best clinical practices are followed.
Paul Pender practiced clinical ophthalmology for 38 years, specializing in the medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases. He completed his residency at the world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital. His honors include a lecture series in his name by the New England Ophthalmological Society and the Secretariat Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his work on webinars for clinicians.
Pender is passionate about patient-centered care. He believes that the patient-physician relationship should serve as the fundamental building block for health care reform. He is an advisor to Vxtra Health, a company committed to collaborating with physicians to earn trust and to reduce health care costs. By limiting the drain on health benefits budgets by intermediaries (health insurance companies, pharmacy benefits managers, and hospital systems), Vxtra Health establishes a path toward a new model of care, based on price transparency and fiduciary responsibility, starting with self-insured middle market employers.
He writes on timely medical issues on his website, his KevinMD author’s page, and other popular social media. He is the author of Rebuilding Trust in Health Care: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Post-Pandemic America (2020) and the ebook Standing Up and Speaking Out for Patients and Doctors: First Steps Toward Focused Health Care Solutions (2023).
