Start a Physician Satisfaction Team
"It has to be a sincere effort to engage physicians," advises Dr. Loren Meyer, Vice President, Quality and Medical Education, at All Saints Hospital, Racine, WI. "Physicians know when an effort is designed to placate them rather than truly driving improvement in making the environment a better place to practice medicine." All Saints has raised physician satisfaction from the 75th to the 90th percentile and enjoys less than 2% physician turnover.
The goal of a physician satisfaction team is to improve the level of service to physicians and open communication channels between physicians and the hospital. The team identifies tools and resources physicians need to provide quality service to patients and families and recognizes physicians who live the organizational standards.
How to Get Started
Gather the team. It should have about 10 members and include those who work closely with physicians (e.g. major nursing units, medical office staff, high volume outpatient areas, and admitting).
Gather data. The team uses information from physician satisfaction surveys (see page 5), physician interviews/focus groups, and existing complaints or patient letters as a springboard for brainstorming how to create an optimal environment for physicians.
Set goals. The team shares a 90-day action plan with leaders, sets monthly targets, and defines year one outcomes (e.g. solve the top two physician complaints; roll out and respond to results of a physician satisfaction survey).
Take action. In response to monthly targets, implement physician satisfiers to perceived barriers. If, for example, physicians are concerned about a contracted provider, ask for their help in identifying and evaluating a contractor that better meets their needs.
Evaluate and communicate results. Close the loop! Physicians need to see leaders actively using the information they have provided. (This is evidence-based leadership.) Divide the list of physicians among your senior leadership team and ask them to round on each physician at least annually to find out how the hospital is doing in meting their needs.
Final Tips
1. Physicians appreciate proactive behavior, opportunity for input, and follow through. Demonstrate it to engage your physicians.
2. Don't be vague when communicating with physicians. Say yes, no, or when you will have a yes or a no.
3. Never underestimate the difference a thank you note makes to a physician. After All Saints began sending thank you notes to all the physicians who ranked above the 90th percentile, one physician elected to delay his planned retirement by three months until the hospital could find a replacement. He felt needed and appreciated.
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