Tip of the week: Plan how to measure changes to physicians' bad behavior

Physicians with behavioral problems need to eliminate disruptive patterns, but how do you know if that behavior is changing?

To identify signs of improvement in physicians, make sure you have a plan in advance to know if they are in compliance. Communicate with the physician how he or she will be evaluated while complying with the policy.  Methods of measuring physician behavioral improvement include:

·         Tracking incident reports

·         Patient/staff satisfaction surveys

·         Periodic meetings with the nurse manager

This week’s tip is from A Practical Guide to Managing Disruptive and Impaired Physicians, Second Edition by R. Dean White, DDS, MS, and Jonathan H. Burroughs, MD, MBA, FACPE, CMSL.