The document provides 7 tips for improving physician engagement in clinical quality improvement projects. The tips are to engage physicians early in project development, find champions among physician leadership, choose a focused initial area to implement quality changes, build a guidance team with diverse roles, follow the project plan rigorously, make results data-driven to appeal to physicians' scientific training, and act as an agent of change to overcome resistance.

1. Clinical Quality Improvement:
7 Tips for Physician Engagement
By Dr. Kevin Croston, MD
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© 2014 Health Catalyst
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© 2014 Health Catalyst
www.healthcatalyst.com

2. Top Tips
Engage Physicians Early
1
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Physicians embrace new methodology
faster when engaged in its development.
Building a sense of ownership among the
physicians is enhanced by data visualization tools.
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3. Top Tips
2
Find Champions Among
the Leadership
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Champions focus on success and paint an attractive vision to
overcome early fears. They keep the team engaged through
the implementation challenges of large data-centric projects.
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4. Top Tips
3
Choose One Area of Focus
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
With large projects select a starting
point with low risk and high reward
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5. Top Tips
4
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Build a Broad but
Specific Guidance Team
Everyone needs to understand and be committed to
the program’s goals. The organization can inspire
that change with steadfast engagement.
Example team: senior physician/former member of the board of
trustees; nurse experts; data architects; HR; IT resources; clinical
director
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6. Top Tips
5
Once You Have the
Plan, Follow It
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Develop simple goals and identify the
baseline. Fanatically stick to the project plan.
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7. Top Tips
Make the Results Data-driven
6
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Clinicians are scientists by training and like to see
measureable evidence of success. Organization support
increases when data proves performance improvement .
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8. Top Tips
Be an Agent for Change
7
PHYSICIAN
ENGAGEMENT
Most of us naturally fear and avoid change. Using
these steps to overcome internal resistance will
drive clinical and financial success.
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9. Other Clinical Quality Improvement Resources
Click to read additional information at www.healthcatalyst.com
Webinar: Changing Healthcare Using Data: A Case Study of One
Small Health System’s Odyssey to Achieve Material Improvements
As the Chief Medical Officer of North Memorial Health Care, Dr.
Kevin Croston’s ultimate objective is to improve healthcare by
driving variation out and improving cost efficiencies at North
Memorial Healthcare. Core to his success has been a fundamental
culture shift with physicians who are now using data to
© 2013 Health Catalyst
www.healthcatalyst.com