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Strategy for developing a hospitalist program users' group

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, May 4, 2010

Developing a users’ group for your hospitalist program can serve multiple purposes. On a basic level, a users’ group serves as a forum for all involved parties to discuss clinical, operational, and administrative concerns related to the program. On an advanced level, regular group meetings serve to engage the outpatient physicians and maintain their involvement with the hospital. Essentially, the face-to-face meetings reinforce cooperation and teamwork among the providers.

The participants in a users’ group typically include the hospitalists, referring providers, PCPs, ED providers, specialists, and hospital administration representatives.

The users’ group also can act as a sounding board when the program considers implementing new policies, protocols, or potentially controversial changes to the program. In cases where the hospitalist program administrators anticipate resistance from program participants, this meeting can be the key to overcoming such pushback. Consider that participants are more likely to support concepts when they have been afforded the opportunity to give input before officially being adopted. The key users’ group may then be counted on to champion the initiative among their colleagues.

The group should meet regularly, perhaps monthly at inception and quarterly thereafter, and should be open to any practitioner or administrator affected by the hospitalist program. The meeting time should be user-friendly (i.e., not during physicians’ regular office hours). It may be beneficial to have the meeting at the hospital for the sake of convenience and access. A regular agenda helps maintain organizational focus. The hospitalist director should preside over the meeting.

The above except is adapted from Hospitalist Case Studies: Tactics and Strategies for 10 Common Hurdles, published by HCPro, Inc.


 

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