Strukturion of Future Thinking
Doctors in private practice have a distant to negative relationship with the term “business management”. This is mainly due to ignorance and prejudice. However, this attitude means that important tools that can improve patient care, guarantee the flexibility required for transformation in the medium term and ensure the long-term success of the practice are not utilised.
Continue reading “Outpatient care of the future in Germany: Not without business knowledge”
Benchmarking studies of practice management show that, on average, GPs and specialists in Germany only consider half of the best practice standard in their practice management. This deficit has a considerable impact on economic efficiency because, metaphorically speaking, money is being thrown out of the window.
ℹ️ Der Berufsverband der HNO-Ärzte meldet nach einem Bericht der Ärzte Zeitung von gestern über eine “desolate Personalsituation” in den Praxen.
Efficient and adaptable practice management is crucial for maintaining high standards of patient care and operational success. Despite this, many GPs and specialists in private practice are surprisingly resistant to change, even when there is clear evidence that their current systems are failing. Below are the five most common pretexts and excuses that practice owners use to avoid making necessary changes. Understanding the psychological motives behind these excuses is crucial to recognising the underlying resistance to change.
Benchmarking analyses of practice management show that only 10% of German doctors have a professional goal agreement system. This alarmingly low level illustrates the considerable discrepancy between the requirements of effective practice management and the reality in many medical practices. But what are the concrete disadvantages for doctors in private practice who do not agree targets with their employees?
Work overload, insufficient remuneration, non-functioning digitalisation, nonsensical health policy regulations and bureaucratisation dominate the complaints of doctors in private practice about their work. They convey the image of a profession that is suffering under its burden. However, a look at the reality of practice operations shows that this need not be the case, as numerous unused optimisation opportunities in practice management often remain unconsidered. This article examines the causes and consequences of this neglect and poses the provocative question of whether doctors in private practice may have masochistic tendencies.
Continue reading “Are german general practitioners and specialists masochists?”
The medical landscape in Germany is facing fundamental change. While some medical practices have already recognised the signs of the times and are proactively approaching the future, many others are still stuck in traditional structures. Around 20 % of German GP and specialist practices can be categorised as progressive, 30 % are in a transitional stage and 50 % are still operating traditionally. The difference between these groups can be attributed to three key aspects: entrepreneurial practice management, the targeted use of digitalisation and the development of soft skills.
Continue reading “Rather low: The future orientation of medical practices in Germany”
A characteristic feature of German practice owners is the evaluation of the quality of their practice management based on subjective assessments instead of objective data. This inevitably leads to serious misjudgements that have a negative impact on the overall service provision and quality of practice operations, a situation that can be identified time and again in practice management comparisons.
Patient satisfaction plays a key role in the success of GP and specialist practices. Practice management comparisons show that doctors and medical assistants overestimate patient satisfaction by an average of 30%. This discrepancy can be explained by various psychological mechanisms.
The results of practice management comparisons and the associated employee surveys in German general practitioner and specialist practices show: In many medical practices, the personal initiative of medical assistants is not welcomed and is even consistently discouraged. There are various reasons for this behaviour on the part of practice owners, including both practical and psychological aspects. This article highlights the most important reasons and outlines the consequences.
Continue reading “Efficiency barriers in German medical practices: Personal initiative? No thanks!”
R2049 