Published on the Jan. 14, 2016 DiagnosticImaging.com website
By Whitney L.J. Howell
No radiologist, radiology practice, or department is an island. Without partners of all sorts, a radiologist cannot succeed. The inter-related nature of providing quality health care services and optimal patient care requires a well-tuned, communicative team made up of many members.
While your office colleagues are integral to a radiologist’s success, they can’t be the only other players to comprise the team. To be truly effective, radiologists must cultivate and maintain open relationships with other stakeholders – referring physicians, hospitals, technologists, and, most importantly, patients.
According to industry leaders, there are reasons behind why each relationship is important, as well as tactics you can use to strengthen each connection.
Radiologist-Providers/Hospitals
For the American College of Radiology (ACR), understanding and supporting ongoing relationships between radiologists and referring physicians or hospital administrations is vital to underscoring the most effective patient care possible. And, these groups always tell the ACR the same things when asked to name the most important characteristics of a successful, trustworthy radiology partner.
Every hospital surveyed reports the need for radiology partners that are aligned with the health systems’ overall goals – ones that take the time to unearth priorities, stumbling blocks, and upcoming efforts, according to Geraldine McGinty, MD, MBA, chair of the ACR Commission on Economics. Everyone is looking for a radiology group invested in the hospital’s long-term growth.
“Make sure you’re around and visible. Show up to medical staff meetings. Show up and commit to being an active participant with the intricacies of the hospital,” McGinty said. “Get to know the people you work with, and understand their challenges. Those are important things.”
There are several steps needed to reach this goal, she said. After discovering what’s important to them and committing the time and energy investment needed for a solid relationship, identify the people in your department or group you feel most comfortable sending in to talk with hospital administrators. Not everyone will be good for this job, but try not to rely on fewer than three people.
Most importantly, she said, pitch in and keep a positive attitude. Be part of any solution and never part of the problem.
“It’s a bad idea to assume what’s important to any other party. Don’t assume you know their wants and needs. Ask them,” McGinty said. “Spend your time learning about what they consider to be important and what their strategies are.”
To read the article published at its original location: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/practice-management/how-radiologists-can-get-along-everyone
