How can you increase physician buy-in to hospital initiatives?

Hospital initiatives are often designed to improve quality, safety, efficiency, or patient satisfaction, but they may face resistance or indifference from physicians who are busy, skeptical, or autonomous. How can you increase physician buy-in to hospital initiatives and foster a culture of collaboration and engagement among your medical staff? Here are some strategies that can help you communicate, motivate, and support your physicians in adopting and implementing new practices and policies.

1 Understand their needs and concerns

Before you launch any initiative, you need to understand the needs and concerns of your physicians. What are their goals, challenges, preferences, and values? How do they perceive the benefits and drawbacks of the initiative? How will it affect their workflow, autonomy, income, and satisfaction? You can gather this information by conducting surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations, or by reviewing data on performance, satisfaction, or feedback. By understanding their needs and concerns, you can tailor your initiative to address them and anticipate any potential barriers or objections.

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2 Involve them in the planning and decision-making

One of the best ways to increase physician buy-in is to involve them in the planning and decision-making process of the initiative. This can help you gain their input, feedback, and expertise, as well as their ownership and commitment. You can involve them by creating a steering committee, a task force, or a working group that represents different specialties, departments, or roles. You can also solicit their opinions and suggestions through surveys, meetings, or forums. By involving them, you can show that you value their perspective and contribution, and that you respect their professional judgment and autonomy.

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Louise B Andrew MD JD FIFEM (MD Mentor)

Physician Advocate specializing in physician health and wellness, litigation and regulatory stress management, and discrimination especially age and disabilities based.
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I would add "meaningfully" before "involve them" and that such involvement should begin AS SOON AS the problem necessitating a new initiative is identified, not after the institution has already tentatively decided on a solution. If done via committee or the like, sufficient staff and financial support to research the issue and to gain outside perspectives should be available. Surveying is unlikely to yield much return unless the issue is one that is of importance to individual physicians, and if done, the results should be openly available to all who wish to know or participate in the process.

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3 Communicate clearly and frequently

Communication is key to increasing physician buy-in. You need to communicate clearly and frequently about the purpose, goals, expectations, and progress of the initiative. You need to explain the rationale, evidence, and benefits of the initiative, as well as the risks and costs of not implementing it. You need to use multiple channels and formats to communicate, such as emails, newsletters, flyers, posters, videos, webinars, or presentations. You need to use simple, concise, and compelling language that appeals to their logic, emotion, and values. You need to address any questions, concerns, or misconceptions that they may have, and provide them with updates, feedback, and recognition.

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Chadwick Leo, DO, MBA, FACOG

Medical Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology UNC Health Pardee
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Communication and transparency is very important in developing trust with your team. In my experience lack of transparency and lack of communication creates mistrust and team is less willing to be open to new ideas and initiatives

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4 Motivate them with incentives and support

Another way to increase physician buy-in is to motivate them with incentives and support. You need to align the initiative with their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, such as their professional identity, reputation, autonomy, mastery, purpose, or rewards. You need to provide them with incentives that are meaningful, fair, and achievable, such as recognition, feedback, education, coaching, mentoring, peer support, resources, tools, or compensation. You need to support them with training, guidance, feedback, and troubleshooting, and help them overcome any challenges or difficulties that they may encounter.

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5 Empower them as leaders and champions

Finally, you can increase physician buy-in by empowering them as leaders and champions of the initiative. You need to identify and recruit influential and respected physicians who can act as role models, mentors, advocates, and facilitators of the initiative. You need to equip them with the skills, knowledge, and resources to lead and support their colleagues in adopting and implementing the initiative. You need to empower them to make decisions, solve problems, and influence change within their sphere of influence. By empowering them, you can leverage their credibility, expertise, and network to spread and sustain the initiative.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Louise B Andrew MD JD FIFEM (MD Mentor)

Physician Advocate specializing in physician health and wellness, litigation and regulatory stress management, and discrimination especially age and disabilities based.
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The administration needs to understand that they could be mistaken in pursuing certain initiatives. In my hospital, due to a change in government reimbursement, a nurse administrator decided that the emergency physicians working in the urgent care department should perform primary care, when they were not educated, prepared, credentialed, nor willing to do so.

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Paul Bolin CPA MBA FHFMA

Accomplished Healthcare Executive
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Creating and supporting a patient centered culture. Hospitals and physicians have important and real needs but we are all in our roles for one reason. It’s all about the patient.

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How can you increase physician buy-in to hospital initiatives?

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2

3

4

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1 Understand their needs and concerns

2 Involve them in the planning and decision-making

3 Communicate clearly and frequently

4 Motivate them with incentives and support

5 Empower them as leaders and champions

6 Here’s what else to consider

Healthcare

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How can you increase physician buy-in to hospital initiatives?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Understand their needs and concerns

2 Involve them in the planning and decision-making

3 Communicate clearly and frequently

4 Motivate them with incentives and support

5 Empower them as leaders and champions

6 Here’s what else to consider

Healthcare

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