What it’s all about
When reviewing the results from cross-sectional analyses of our studies as part of practice management benchmarking, I repeatedly notice outstanding individual aspects that are already symptomatic in the individual analyses, but whose implications for the healthcare system only really become clear in their aggregated totality. An example of this is the best practice implementation, or rather: non-implementation (“LeadNeglection”) in the practice management action area “Employee management”.
A dramatically low score for the Leadership Materialisation Score (LMS)
Employee management is a decisive factor for success in any organisation, including of course in medical practices. It is not only medical skills that play a decisive role here, but also the way in which practice owners manage their staff. Unfortunately, the reality paints a worrying picture: If there were a driving licence for staff management, most GPs and specialists would not pass either the theoretical or the practical test. The reason: Our research shows that the Leadership Materialisation Score (LMS) in medical practices is only 35%, i.e. only this proportion of the tools, methods and behaviours of the best practice standard of personnel management is applied at all.The result correlates with the information provided by the employees, who largely consistently cite the lack of leadership in all possible forms as a weakness in practice work.
The problem cascade of inadequate leadership
These deficits lead to a number of problems that have negative consequences for all areas of practice work. Here is a small selection:
Effects on the doctors themselves
A lack of effective leadership leads to increased stress and dissatisfaction among the doctors themselves. Unclear instructions, a lack of delegation and poor communication create additional stress. The doctor feels forced to carry out many tasks themselves that could actually be done by other team members. This leads to overwork and an increased risk of burnout.
Problems for the staff
For employees, ineffective leadership results in uncertainty and a lack of motivation. Without clear instructions and expectations, employees do not know what is required of them and how they should fulfil their tasks. A lack of recognition and feedback leads to frustration and demotivation. The high staff turnover in many medical practices is largely the result of poor leadership.
Impairment of work efficiency
Another disadvantage is the decreasing efficiency of practical work. Without clear processes and allocation of roles, communication problems, duplication of work and inefficient processes are the order of the day. This results in unnecessary delays, increased costs and overall lower productivity of the practice.
Negative impact on patients
Perhaps the most serious impact of ineffective staff management is on patient care. Delayed or lack of communication between staff translates directly into errors in patient treatment. Patients experience longer waiting times, inconsistent care and an overall lower quality of service. This causes dissatisfaction and damages trust in the medical practice in the long term.
Conclusion
To summarise, there is an urgent need to improve staff management in medical practices. The current state of affairs, where only 35% of best practice standards are applied, leads to significant disadvantages for doctors, staff, work efficiency and, most importantly, patients.
R2049 