A Hospital Leaders' Guide to Improving Physician/Hospital Relations
Of the $3 trillion spent in the United States on healthcare every year, more than half goes to physician and hospital services. With that in mind, physician/hospital relations — namely, integration and collaboration — take on incredible importance. Often referred to as “physician alignment,” this is also a key component of ongoing healthcare reform efforts.
According to this new white paper from Staff Care, this so-called physician alignment is likely to reflect a common mindset among hospital leaders and physicians — specifically, that:
- Care should be provided globally to large patient groups,
- Quality should be rewarded, and
- Financial risk should be shared within a capitated reimbursement structure.
"In the real world, however, healthcare is delivered along a 'physician alignment continuum,' which runs from pure fee-for-service at one end where hospitals and physicians still compete directly for patients, to fully integrated population health management at the other," the white paper authors note.
The bottom line, then, is that enhancing physician relations remains a key strategic objective for hospital leaders. This white paper attempts to help leaders reach this goal by offering 11 methods to help "maintain and enhance physician relations and foster physician alignment."