Beyond Physician Engagement

Imagine a world of healthcare where physicians are engaged and contributing at their full intellectual capacity. A world where physicians and their teams are happier because they feel heard – a world where physicians are active partners and collaborative leaders. As CEO of CTI’s Physician Leadership Institute, I’ve seen the power of strong physician engagement firsthand. I have also witnessed the problems that occur when physicians are not engaged, and it isn’t pretty. It is a safety threat. Engagement is critical in today’s ever-changing healthcare system. It can improve clinical outcomes, boost patient experience and safety scores, and promote a positive culture throughout the organization. A health system could improve its bottom line by nearly half a million dollars a year each time it successfully engages one of its less engaged physicians. Yet active engagement metrics among physicians are at a mere 10 percent. I believe we have been approaching engagement in healthcare all wrong. We’ve made it a metric and held our managers accountable over our physicians. But physicians are professionals and don’t need parents; they need partners. The book reveals real-life examples of leaders who have been successful at engaging their physicians by acting as partners: co-leading, co-creating, and working together to establish trust. It provides readers with a progressive roadmap that blends the art of leadership, neuroscience, language, and conversation.

It is time to go beyond engagement.