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If I am practicing medicine three years from now, I am confident I will be practicing at this hospital.
Survey Domain:Engagement Indicator
Survey Theme:Engagement Indicator
Understanding the Issue: Engagement Indicators (EI) are unique items that measure the staff member's emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organization. While the score is an indication of how committed your staff are to the organization, the item is not easy to address directly. Often, the best way to act upon an EI item is to focus on low scoring items in the primary Domains: Organization, Staff, Administration, and Department. The items in these domains represent the key drivers of individual staff member engagement -the workforce issues that influence engagement. Items in these domains are more directly actionable, and improving performance on them will improve performance of EI items as well. For this reason, ideas for improvement on EI items are often tied to other survey item topics.
Physicians want to feel supported to do what is necessary for patients and appreciated for their efforts in order to feel committed to an organization over time. Both specialty and primary care physicians look for the right mix of location, compensation, involvement and lifestyle as elements influencing intent to stay with any one healthcare organization. These elements cover market-based compensation, productivity bonuses, flexible schedules, mid-level support, paid or reduced call responsibilities, mentoring for development, and a voice in decisions that affect their practice. In addition, organizations most successful with retention efforts offer a positive culture with strong, visionary leadership with a focus on quality, efficiency and transparency in communications.
See also: I have adequate input into decisions...
Improvement ideas:
Orient new physicians to the vision, mission and values of the hospital, medical staff and/or physician organization, and clarify roles and responsibilities. The way a department or physician chief welcomes a new physician demonstrates leadership and plays a key role in that physician's intent to stay. Be sure to explore their expectations for support and development. Introduce physicians to key department leaders who can help with services and problem solving.
Develop organized medical staff strategies that cover: a physician-hospital compact, formal leadership development, social capital building, and effective communication.
Align strategies by practice specialty. Include other groups which may not fit exactly into the practice classifications, for example: directorships, joint ventures, recruitment services, contract employment services, and ‘per case' consultants.
Develop targeted recruitment and retention strategies that incorporate patient feedback on specific physicians/services, support for recruitment, liaison roles, practice support, branding, quality and operations council input, contracting arrangements and low-volume alignment.
Ask physicians: For you to feel that your patients are receiving quality care, what would service to you and your patients look like? If requests for tools or services cannot be met, explain why in a timely manner.
Encourage physicians and hospital leaders to be visible and accessible. Consider rounding on practices and/or physician offices to check in, listen actively, and build relationships.
Establish a central contact for physician ideas and concerns; be proactive with two-way communication on issues or ideas presented.
Create a Physician Satisfaction Team or Physician Work Environment Council from multiple disciplines with responsibility for identifying and addressing physician needs. Prioritize and follow up; create measures for all needs identified through scorecards or specific goals and objectives. Explain why certain requests may not be doable.
Develop a "multi-channel" physician communication plan that includes printed memos, emails, faxes, texts, blogs, and the hospital's and physician's Intranet, according to expressed need.
Ensure physician representation on quality panels and project teams in which outcomes will impact care delivery and the physician's practice.
Conduct periodic surveys to compare market-based pay practices for employed physicians and mid-level providers and make sure they are on par with stated compensation structures. Explain all elements of the compensation package simply and clearly and make market data available, where possible, to ensure transparency.
Assign an experienced mentor. Active mentoring aids in feedback acceptance, personal growth, and helps a physician avoid policy and social pitfalls.
(MI 1055)