Unfortunately, few healthcare executives have a full understanding of what engagement is, and even fewer have any idea how to obtain and sustain it among physicians and other clinicians. So, first a simple and practical definition of engagement in the context of the workplace: engagement is emotional connection, involvement, and commitment demonstrated in behaviors and leading to discretionary efforts.
It is that simple and that profound. Emotional connection, involvement, and commitment can hardly be mandated. Adding “be engaged” to a list of annual performance objectives would be unlikely to yield results. However, contrary to popular opinion, it is not the case that physicians are either engaged or they are not. Some might be more naturally engaged than others at a given point in time, but engagement can be developed and improved in the vast majority of physicians. And improving engagement levels in even 25 percent of clinicians can have an enormous impact on a healthcare provider organization.
How do you do it? One simple step at a time.
Physician engagement was the topic of an American Hospital Association Critical Conversation event and the above roadmap was covered in detail, including instructions for each of the five steps, and reiterating the importance of customizing an engagement process that will be successful for your organization.
Read the AHA’s Critical Conversations Physician Engagement Report to learn more about the practical process of engaging physicians and other medical staff to accomplish specific goals and perform effectively, where and when you need them.