Don't I just LOVE totally screwed-up data. (But check how they dealt with it.)

I often say that I like "Good quality data, well managed." And I talk about the importance of having good reliable processes to ensure reliable data. And I talk about how most industries got this sorted out decades ago.

Well, sometimes things go a little haywire. Here's the email I got last night from Verizon Wireless.

Hm, it seems that when I went to Canada for the Medicine 2.0 conference last week, and adjusted my Blackberry data plan to include Canada, something Did Not Go So Well.

Me being me, I'd done quite a bit of research into my options before the trip. (I have this thing about people knowing what their options are, and being actively engaged to find out.) At the time, the Verizon agent I spoke with said that my data charge would be 0.02 cents per KB. I said "So that means 50k would be one cent, and 1 MB would be 20c." She said "Right."

Well, not so much. Their fraud prevention department called while I was in Canada, because my data bill was going through the roof. "No," they said, "that was 0.02 dollars per KB."

Evidently the original agent didn't know "$0.02 per kb" is point zero two dollars which is two cents. And when I did the math for her, concluding "1MB = 20 cents," she said yes; it was evidently over her head.

So when fraud called I popped my cork. But they said "No problem, we're setting it to the other plan, retroactively." So the bill would be just fine.

Well, apparently everyone got the word except the billing computer, which just sent me a bill for two grand.

When I got the email I called customer service and they hopped right on it. They said it'll take a few days to sort it out but they said the conversations are all recorded in the system and they'll work it out. I asked the agent to send me an email confirming that we'd talked. He said he would. He didn't. I called today and repeated the request. This time she sent one.

============

What can we learn from this? It's not just that companies make mistakes; there are important differences in what happens when there is a mistake. Although errors occurred in Verizon's work (twice), they had checks and balances and processes for correction:

1. The fraud department detected abnormal values and jumped into action. In fact they called me while I was in Canada to say that the amount was crazy-looking.
2. They didn't make me wrong about it. Too often a company will say it's the customer's responsibility. Those companies don't win my loyaty.
   
3. The people who called were empowered (authorized) to fix the problem. There was no "there's nothing I can do," no "I'll have to speak to a supervisor."
   
4. Our conversations were noted in the system so subsequent workers knew what happened.
5. They sent me the bill amount by email, so I quickly spotted the problem. (I confess that I don't immediately open every bill that arrives, especially if it's one that rarely changes.)
6. They had customer service people available 24/7. This enables following up on a problem when my schedule allows it.

This is a great model for healthcare providers who are considering improving their processes for detecting and correcting errors in data.

At the same time, note the steps I took as an empowered / engaged / activated consumer:

1. I researched my options. We as patients can and should do the same. Don't expect your physicians to think everything out for you; get engaged, be responsible.
   
2. When I did spot the problem, I called immediately. The sooner you react, the better.
   
3. I didn't blame the person I got on the phone. He had nothing to do with the error. (But I did expect him to fix it.)
4. I described what happened, and ended with "So: what do we do to get this straightened out?" I find that this question puts the power in their lap, where it belongs, and hints that they look up how to solve it (if they don't know). And, the "we" says I know I might need to do something too.
5. Followed up. When the email didn't arrive overnight, I called back and firmly said what I want.

The takeaway for empowered patients and people improving healthcare:

• "Good quality data, well managed" doesn't automatically happen; keep an eye out.
  
• It can get screwed up several ways, both human and systemic. That's why we need sanity checks and processes to resolve problems.
• Learn from other industries. There's no reason on earth why healthcare providers can't use the same processes as Verizon Wireless. (It's not like they'd have to invent them - the processes exist.)
  
• Expect competence in your data providers.
• Be responsible: do your own sanity checks. You may not want to micro-check each detail, but never ever presume that anyone is perfect - especially not in healthcare, where errors are common and systematic sanity checks are too rare.
• Expect corrections. The healthcare industry is immature in this area: from what I hear, it's common for patients to find that a hospital or physician doesn't want to correct errors in your record. Demand it.