On Monday, Erin and Jason presented on conflict between administrators and physicians. I found this topic to be very interesting. This topic is something often brought up by experienced administrators I have heard from. Just this past Friday at Boston Day, one woman briefly mentioned the struggles within collaboration between administrators and physicians. As we discussed in class, there are different priorities among the two groups as far as delivering care. Administrators are focused on quality and standards, while physicians are often focused strictly on healing. Often times because of these differences, there is tension between the two groups.
It is difficult to decide who is right, because both parties are just vastly different minded people. Both groups have solid viewpoints and ideas. I think the first step to better collaboration is attempting to get rid of the very idea that there are two groups. Dropping the us vs. them dynamic will decrease tension and competition between the two positions. It is important as an administrator to put yourself in the shoes of the physicians before implementing new programs or requirements that affect them. I believe that this will be one of the most challenging parts of being a hospital administrator.
It's often a more subtle thing. Physicians often assume they are the smartest individuals in the room - because often they are. But not always. They then assume that things can be fixed just by giving orders, because that's what works in medicine. But hospitals are complex systems, and the problems in hospitals are rarely simple. Obviously I come from the admin side, but I grew up with a physician father who considered my becoming an administrator a bit like joining the Dark Side of the Force.
ReplyDeleteMy experience dealing with physicians is generally they care deeply about patient well being, but their focus is often at the individual patient level, rather than at the system level. As an administrator, we are focused at the well being of the system, because a good system will yield better overall results for all patients. Sometimes those points of view bring administrators and physicians into conflict, even when both sides are trying to what is in the best interest of the patient(s).