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Tip: Help improve physician documentation with positive attitude

Compliance Monitor, May 26, 2004

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The adage that you catch more flies with honey is right on the money when you're talking about getting physicians to improve their documentation.

You'll have more success if you make your presentation to physicians about physicians, said Simon Rosenstein, MD, during an HCPro audioconference April 21 on medical necessity.

Rosenstein said to sympathize and empathize with physicians-take their points of view into account when discussing problems. He called this the physician-centric approach: To get physicians on your team, explain to them why it works to their advantage to cooperate.

Let them know that you understand how busy they are and that you realize the difficulty of the compliance rules. Be clear that you don't blame the doctors for the problems. Any communication has to identify with the physician and acknowledge any objections he or she may have, he said.

"While it is important to recognize the overall impact on the hospital, I'm going to suggest that you focus on how it affects the physicians."

You can mention the financial consequences and the regulatory impact of noncompliance on the hospital, he said, but also focus on how that affects the physician's individual practice.

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