The healthcare industry is currently in an era of intense reform, and as healthcare providers fall under heightened pressure to achieve performance goals, improve quality and safety, do more with fewer resources and concurrently improve patient satisfaction, how can leaders ensure physician engagement and alignment with organizational goals?
Best practices for physician engagement efforts
Physician engagement and ‘buy-in’ are undoubtedly essential for the success of your organization, and that starts with building a positive culture of transparent communications, combined with robust support and guidance. This is not a simple process and is not as easy as telling physicians what to do, how to do it and what they need to do to meet said goals. A better strategy is to engage the physician in advance, before any change affecting them is implemented. This requires a shift in culture and physician involvement. Having an understanding of what is important to your physicians and allowing them to provide input and involvement in the decision-making process is crucial to achieving the organization’s goals.
Another valuable tactic is to find ‘champions’ among the medical leadership to evangelize the organization’s mission and goals to their colleagues. These champions tell colleagues where the organization is headed and why it will benefit them individually and as part of the team. The champions should focus on what success will look like. Also, improving performance transparency provides physicians with the means to analyze data on a case-by-case basis and provide better care in the future. Additionally, giving them leadership roles, establishing two-way communication and keeping them informed of the organization’s strategic plans and directions should contribute significantly to boosting physician satisfaction and retention.
Author Ann Whitehead, RN, JD, is Vice President of Risk Management & Patient Safety at the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) in its CAPAssurance, A Risk Purchasing Group, program that offers hospitals, large medical groups, and other healthcare facilities access to top-rated liability protection and risk management services.