What it’s all about
One of the aspects analysed as part of our practice management benchmarking is whether the GP and specialist practices surveyed run as „learning practices“, i.e. whether they are continuously and actively working to systematically develop the quality of their work. The response rate is alarming not only with regard to sustainability: only just over 10% of practice owners confirm the description for their practice.
The nature and aim of the concept of the learning medical practice
A „learning medical practice“ is a GP or specialist practice whose staff systematically develop and implement procedures to expand their skills, following the insight that organisations can act more effectively, efficiently, proactively and flexibly if they use their own experience as well as external experience. For practice management, this means corresponding activities in all areas of practice management, from planning to market research, organisation, management, patient care and marketing to controlling,
The status quo in German medical practices
The results of our practice management comparisons show that only just over 10% of practice owners have established this principle. In addition and by way of explanation, the information provided by the staff as part of the SWOT analysis of the comparative studies confirms a pronounced „changejection“ on the part of the doctors. This term, a combination of „change“ and „rejection“, describes a pronounced resistance to change on the part of practice managers, who ignore or do not allow suggestions for improvement and suggestions for change from employees to take effect.
The implications of changejection
Ignoring the need to run the business as a learning organisation has serious disadvantages for practice management:
Deterioration of internal processes and efficiency
Without learning from experience and developing new ideas, inefficient routines become established that waste resources and slow down processes. This not only has an impact on patient care, but also leads to increased work pressure for staff, which in turn has a negative impact on job satisfaction and staff loyalty. Inefficiencies in the organisation of the practice, such as in the allocation of appointments or stock management, can become a permanent problem that undermines the profitability of the practice.
Lack of adaptability to changing conditions
In a framework that is constantly changing, the ability to adapt is crucial. Practices in which processes are not regularly scrutinised and optimised risk no longer being able to fully meet performance requirements. This can lead to financial losses or force practice teams to operate under sub-optimal conditions.
Deterioration in patient care
Even if medical quality is excluded from this consideration, patient care and satisfaction depend heavily on well-organised practice processes. An organisation that fails to improve communication channels, patient reception, waiting time experience and doctor contact will not meet patient needs in the long term. The result is dissatisfied patients who switch to other doctors.
Limited development opportunities for staff
Another significant disadvantage of a non-learning practice is the lack of personal and professional development of staff. If the practice management does not implement measures for promotion and further training, not only do the employees‘ skills fall short of their potential, but there is also a lack of motivation and commitment. The consequences are staff turnover and the retention of inadequately qualified staff.
Loss of competitive advantages
Ultimately, ignoring the need for continuous further development means that practices, especially in urban centres, fall behind their competitors who have adapted more innovative and efficient ways of working. Without continuous optimisation and reaction to market changes, these practices lose their attractiveness, both for new patients and for qualified staff.
Conclusion
To summarise, ignoring the need for continuous and active further development in practice management has far-reaching and long-term disadvantages for GP and specialist practices. These range from internal organisational deficiencies to noticeable external effects such as patient dissatisfaction and competitive disadvantages, and also have an impact on economic success.
ifabsthill.com 