BUSINESSBecoming a meetings maestro: Dispensing information and boosting moraleWhether it's a meeting of physicians or staff, such formal discussion can be crucial to the success of your practice. Experts offer advice on how to get the most out of your meetings.By Larry Stevens, amednews correspondent. Aug. 7, 2006. Doctors and staff are not usually big fans of meetings. Doctors hate to take time away from patients or their families. Staff hate coming in early or on their days off. So practices have to offset these negatives by making meetings meaningful, productive and efficient. In virtually all practices, there are two types of meetings: one for physicians and one for staff. Each has its own nuances, so each requires different techniques to ensure the meetings are effective. Here are some guidelines from physicians and others to make either kind of meeting work well for everyone in the room. The biggest problem physicians and consultants mention about doctor meetings is getting everyone in the same place at the same time. That's why many groups have instituted various incentives -- both positive and negative -- to encourage attendance. Without incentives, "forcing doctors into meetings will just end up irritating them. And they may not really participate in a helpful way," says Roger Shenkel, MD, a family physician and executive director of Primary Care Partners, a 32-doctor group of family physicians and pediatricians in Grand Junction, Colo. Time of meeting is an important factor in improving participation. Unfortunately, there's really no good time to hold a meeting. Few groups can afford to hold meetings in the middle of the day, when doctors could be seeing patients. And it's difficult to get everyone to come early or stay later. So groups need to choose the least bad time to meet. [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2006 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
|
The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment. Meeting coverage - Slideshow Feature articlesHealth reform review The Massachusetts experience Litigation stress Being sued is personal as well as professional Comprehensive coverage
Most-viewed
Nov. 9 issueHouse option for public plan wouldn't limit physician pay to Medicare rates New database for out-of-network pay set to replace disputed Ingenix system Columns and series
From the vault: 5 years agoGenetic testing issues land in primary care practices Nov. 8, 2004 
|
SHARE
