Hospital strategies to engage physicians in quality improvement.

Full Abstract

In the last decade, growing evidence that the quality of U.S. health care is uneven at best has prompted greater attention to quality improvement, especially in the nation's hospitals. While physicians are integral to hospital quality improvement efforts, focusing physicians on these activities is challenging because of competing time and reimbursement pressures. To overcome these challenges, hospitals need to employ a variety of strategies, according to a Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) study of four communities--Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle. Hospital strategies include employing physicians; using credible data to identify areas that need improvement; providing visible support through hospital leadership; identifying and nurturing physician champions to help engage physician peers; and communicating the importance of physicians' contributions. While hospitals are making gains in patient care quality, considerably more progress likely could be made through greater alignment of hospitals and physicians working together on quality improvement.

Author information

Author/s: Liebhaber, Allison (A); Draper, Debra A (DA); Cohen, Genna R (GR);

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Issue brief (Center for Studying Health System Change) (Issue Brief Cent Stud Health Syst Change), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol (issue 127) : pp 1-4

Dates: Created 2009/10/22; Completed 2009/11/06;

PMID: 19847974, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2009, IMS Date: )

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