Tip of the week: Reduce meeting overload

The medical staff services departments should take into consideration physicians' time constraints when planning meetings and other medical staff ­activities. Rather than requiring physicians to travel to be physically present at a meeting, use conferencing technology to host meetings on the ­Web, says Wendy R. Crimp, BSN, MBA, CPHQ, consulting practice director for The Crimp Resource Group. She also recommends assessing the charter of each group, particularly if it seems as though the group rarely has a meaningful agenda.

Creating a task force that meets for a shorter period of time to address a specific issue may be more effective than establishing a permanent committee. "People tend to create these committees, departments, sections, and meetings, and they have them going on ad infinitum," Crimp says. "There's no regulatory body that requires us to have those meetings, other than the [­medical executive committee], and we really can design this to meet the needs of the organization and the ­medical staff."

This week’s tip is from Medical Staff Briefing.