|
|
|
|
The Business of
Health Care Report Physician roles have changed dramatically over the past few years. More and more, there no longer is a single physician in a small practice but a migration to large group practices featuring physicians of the same or differing specialties. The purpose is to organize systems of care for patients and to reduce overhead costs by sharing personnel, supplies and technology. Yet these tasks still reflect the traditional role of physicians as healers. The other roles physicians are playing in health care broaden their impact. Today, physicians often serve as trustees of large health care systems to set the vision and strategies for how and where health care will be delivered tomorrow. Physicians serve on committees to improve quality and processes by which care is delivered and patient outcomes improved. In other roles, physicians are selected for peer review committees to monitor the performance of other physicians and approve new procedures being introduced in hospitals. Some physicians are employed by hospitals or large health systems to enhance physician relationships - to be sure the physician perspective is ever-present as changes occur and decisions are made. And certainly physicians are highly involved in technology development and assessment - whether the technology supports the introduction of a new or better procedure or makes it easier for them to do their jobs of assessing, overseeing and guiding a patient's care. Improving health care requires physicians and hospitals working closely together to provide patients the best of the best. If you have comments on health care or suggestions for topics to be addressed on this program, e-mail me at DouglasHawthorne@TexasHealth.org. Stay tuned to our weekly Business of Health Care reports here on TexasHealth.org and on News Radio 1080 KRLD. Source: Medical Group Management Associationšs Center for Research in Ambulatory Health Care Administration (CRAHCA); The Institute for Management and Leadership Research (IMLR) at Texas Tech University. Doug Hawthorne - DougHawthorne@TexasHealth.org ©
2001 Texas Health Resources |
