Be sure to utilize the tools available to you

One of the constants in the ever-changing landscape of population health is having to “Win Over” providers and staff whenever a new initiative is pushed out. It can be the greatest thing since sliced bread. By the way, where did this saying come from? Sliced bread is convenient but certainly not life altering. But I digress. Ok, where were we. Oh, yes. The challenge of convincing providers and staff a new population health initiative is beneficial for both the patients and for them.

Having practiced in healthcare for close to 20 years I can honestly say I do not recall a time when someone said of a new initiative or workflow process, “Oh, goody. I am so glad we are doing something different, and I have to learn something new.” There is a reluctancy and coinciding skepticism that comes with change, regardless of how much of an improvement it will be. Sometimes we even go as far as to think no other way can be as good as the way we are doing it now. Don’t get me started on the number of times I have heard, “This is the way we have always done it.”

Over the last several months we have been working with a business partner to engage providers and staff to refer complicated patients with uncontrolled chronic conditions to our Telehealth service. I have laid out the road map, including previous data supporting why this is a beneficial program. Health system leadership and administrators believe in the program so much they have signed contracts and invested numerous resources to implement the service. Local key stakeholders have tailored the model to fit their system and patient population with every intent to simplify the process to a point there could be no excuses not to use it. And yet, there are.

A recent phone call to brainstorm with administration and key stakeholders helped me realize some of the barriers I had not considered. First and foremost, there is evidently a different culture amongst providers in this particular geographic area. A culture where providers are hesitant, almost reluctant, to give up control of the care their patients receive. Keep in mind, we are not asking them to give up control. We are offering additional resources to enhance the level of care their patients receive. Many of them don’t see it that way. It has even been explained to me providers may see our involvement as a sign they are not providing adequate care. A defensive response as though we are saying they are not good at what they do.

It is not my job nor responsibility to judge the level of care each provider delivers to their patients. My job is to offer solutions to improve the care for the overall patient population. To provide additional tools that when applied correctly, improve efficiencies, save time, save money, and end up providing a higher quality of overall care. A cultural shift for some, I realize. Often a lengthy proposition that requires a snowball effect to reach full potential. A successful approach is to find the innovative early adopters who are willing to take a chance and try something new. Once the process is tweaked and enhanced even further, the early adopters then elicit buy-in from others. A sort of peer-to peer recruiting philosophy. The icing on the cake is when the hesitant providers begin asking for you to take care of their patients because their peers have access to something they don’t. They feel left out.