Think Business! Medical Practice Quality, Efficiency, Profits

"I would wager that most physician readers of this book have never had a formal opportunity to learn most of the content presented herein.

I would further wager, that most physician readers have no sense who the modern masters of management are including Senge, Drucker, Collins, Demming, and Kotter. These giants have revolutionized the business world and it is as though our physician colleagues have been left out of the conversation.

Ironically, physicians control nearly 16% of the world’s largest capitalistic economy and have little or no preparation to actively participate in the management of those resources.

Kudos then, to Owen Dahl, on his insightful and helpful book, principally designed in my view to get physicians back on track, enabling them to grasp the main take-home messages from the management and leadership giants named above. Here is my analogy. In American medical colleges and hospitals, we are building a physician on the factory floor akin to the 1975 Detroit model of a Chevrolet Impala with rear wheel drive, no airbags and no antilock breaks. The marketplace on the other hand, is demanding a "physician Honda Accord" with every conceivable safety and electronic gadget."
 
 
David B. Nash, MD, MBA, FACP,
Professor and Chairman of the Department of Health Policy at Jefferson Medical College 
 

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Are you a business?
History, Are you a business, Business life cycle, Business organization, Business real purpose

Planning
Strategic plan, Vision and mission, Values and value statements, Strategies, SWOT, Objectives, Environment

Quality of care
Measurement, relationship management, defects and waste, quality management

Human resources
Employee is an asset and knowledge worker, retention, team, generations, management and leadership

Process, systems and efficiency
Systems, flow chart, benchmarks, measurement

Marketing
Strategy, patient decision process, Services, relationships, research and statistics, patient satisfaction, marketing plan, get active, give back

Financial management
Statements, external activity and sources of funds, metrics

Compliance
Risk management, quality assurance, compliance plan, evidence based, incident report, accreditation

Knowledge management and decision making
Data, information, knowledge, and wisdom continuum, management information systems, decision making, knowledge management

Change management
Evidence 1, why and what of change, resistance to change, Is your organization ready for change, change manager or leader, evidence 2, group/team, evidence 3 and solutions, unfreeze, change, refreeze

Case studies
Operational, strategic, and “the big change”

Future Scenarios
The glass is half empty, information and food for thought, the glass is half full, ideal practice

Appendix
Review of the key equations