4 Strategies to Engage Physicians in the Patient and Family Experience

Whether it’s the acquisition of new technology, new payment models, or health system mergers, most alterations in healthcare directly affect how physicians practice.  Physician engagement is paramount to healthcare organizations and there is a significant opportunity to improve this.

 According to Healthstream Physician Insight Trends, only 25% of physicians are engaged with their organization.  Moreover, Gallup reported physicians who were in the top quartile for engagement increased outpatient volume by 17.5 percent, while disengaged physicians in the bottom quartile had their outpatient volume decline by – 11.7 percent.

 Since physician’s guide many of the practices and decisions that are made inside and outside the hospital walls, high performing healthcare organizations leverage physicians as partners in their quest for excellent patient and family experiences.

How engaged are your physicians?  

High performing healthcare organizations leverage physicians as partners in their quest for excellent patient and family experiences. Click To Tweet

Here are 4 practices that every organization should assess in order to ensure that their physicians are truly engaged in the patient and family experience.

Governance Structure

 

Are physicians represented at patient and family experience meetings?

How are physicians integrated into decision making structures and teams?

How is information communicated to physicians (Consulting /Attending)?    

Where do your physicians take their questions and concerns?

 

Rewards & Recognition

 

Are physicians rewarded when their suggestions are implemented?

How are physicians recognized when patients and families are highly satisfied?

How are physicians rewarded by staff / colleagues?

 

Physician Leadership Training

 

Are physicians trained and supported to take on leadership roles?

What are the incentives tied to taking on a leadership role?

Is leadership training viewed as a journey?

 

Performance Feedback & Data

 

Does Senior Leadership round on physicians?

How is rounding data incorporated?

Do physicians help to create their performance measures?

How do you measure, monitor and communicate performance?

Have you asked physicians what one action would help them to provide even better patient care?

 

The Bottom Line

 

Physicians are critical to driving high value patient and family experiences.

 When physicians are engaged in patient and family experiences, HCAHPS scores organically rise.

 When it comes to patient and family experiences, physicians need to not only know what to do or how to do it, but they need by-in.  

Physician by-in can be harnessed through strong communication, leadership, and data.  These components support the delivery of exceptional care and rewarding patient and family experiences.