The relationship between physicians and healthcare administrators is often a complex one, with physicians questioning why administrators play such a large role in their practicing medicine, according to Forbes.
Throughout his career, Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, has seen tensions build between physicians and administrators, but Dr. Jain believes both parties can work to build a fruitful relationship that will work toward the larger goal of improving patient care.
Here are three strategies:
1. Bring physicians to the table. Some healthcare administrators may oftentimes fail to see the value physicians have in improving care. Physicians can play an essential role in reshaping healthcare, so administrators should constantly work to engage their physicians.
2. Talk about the money. Physicians often don't learn about the financing of care delivery in their education, so administrators and physicians should discuss the cost of care, and how both parties can work to drive down those costs. Dr. Jain's CareMore, a healthcare delivery system, is building CareMore Academy that will educate physicians about various topics medical schools may have failed to teach, including how our nation pays for healthcare.
3. Administrators should be well-versed in clinical medicine. Just like administrators should educate physicians about financing healthcare, physicians should talk to their administrator counterparts about clinical medicine. If both parties know clinical medicine's ins-and-outs, they can speak the same language, thereby increasing efficiency.
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