According to a 2018 athenahealth report, professional isolation is a contributor to physician burnout. Seventy-three percent of the 1,400 physicians surveyed said they have experienced professional isolation, with 25% claiming to feel isolated at least once per week and 6% daily. Further, in the November 2019 issue of Dermatology World, it was reported that 72% of surveyed AAD members said it was important to feel like part of a physician community when participating in educational programs.
Source: athenahealth 2018 survey of physicians
Collaborating Enhances Quality
Being connected to colleagues not only enhances physicians’ job satisfaction, but can also help improve the quality of care. Having access to a network of experienced professional peers allows physicians to consult on difficult cases, share ideas and learn best practice procedures that benefit their patients.
QualDerm’s Quality Council was established to help advance the clinical excellence and frameworks of the organization’s affiliated practices. The Quality Council helps overseeing patient safety, clinical quality, clinical risk management, and patient satisfaction. Shortly after the Quality Council was formed, the members determined that enhancing provider collaboration, communication, and education would be a key element in fulfilling its mission.
Facilitating Communication and Education
While many professional collaborations happen spontaneously, the Quality Council set an intentional plan to facilitate communication and educational opportunities among the providers in QualDerm’s 40 affiliated practices.
All QualDerm-affiliated providers have access to online folders filled with educational materials. Additionally, the Quality Council issues Quality Matters, a quarterly e-newsletter to report on internal quality and safety initiatives, provide medical and dermatology news, and share best practice tips from QualDerm-affiliated physicians. For example, the most recent issue of Quality Matters included instructions on how to capture the best biopsy site photographs to reduce wrong site surgery. Numerous images which highlighted examples of both good and bad biopsy site photographs were included within the article.
To provide the most optimized care, dermatologists must stay current on the latest medical research. Unfortunately, this is a daunting task. Each year, there are more than 100 issues of medical publications worthy of a dermatologist’s attention. The Quality Council created a way to ensure QualDerm-affiliated providers get the up-to-date information they need to provide the highest-quality care without having to wade through each publication. In early 2020, the QualDerm Virtual Journal Club will launch. Providers from across the QualDerm network will work together to ensure no important information is missed.
QualDerm understands that patient care must be the central focus of a dermatology practice, and that physicians are the best people within the organization to guide those policies. The Quality Council’s communication and education initiatives are indicative of the high value QualDerm places on quality and physician leadership.
Learn more about how physician collaboration helps QualDerm-affiliated practices enhance the quality of care.
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