According to a survey conducted last year, physicians work an average of 51 hours per week. In addition to time spent seeing patients, these doctors spend valuable time handling administrative tasks such as documentation, checking on test results and reading through patient records and other clinical information. Physicians also have a professional commitment to staying current with new research and the findings of published studies in peer-reviewed journals.
There are thousands of studies published each year on medical research, far too many for even the fastest-reading physician to cover. However, doctors need to be up-to-date on new and/or changing procedures, diagnoses, insurance changes, and other issues affecting the healthcare industry. That’s why it’s important for health systems, hospitals, health plans and other healthcare organizations to continually offer education for the physicians they employ.
Provider education comes with challenges, though. These include cost, limited resources and physician burnout. Because of these challenges, it’s essential to develop an integrated, comprehensive and targeted approach to provider education. In this blog, we’re going to recommend a few ways you can do this.
1. Utilize Targeted Information
Rather than compiling a broad list of information on new or changing medical research, make an attempt to filter content to fit your exact audience. For example, if you’re creating a presentation to share with pediatricians, ensure the information fits the knowledge base of that specialty. Utilize statistics and other sources that apply specifically to that group to avoid sharing an overload of information.
2. Vary Your Approach
As with most target audiences, selecting a method that works best for your select group can optimize your educational efforts. Peer-to-peer outreach may work best for some physicians, while practice-based learning may be a better option for others.
Similarly, consider utilizing different forms of media for your provider education. Webinars or brief videos enable physicians to view content at their fingertips using a digital device. Web conferencing allows physicians at various locations to be connected for the same educational session and enter into discussion on the topic(s) covered. Another time-effective method is virtual education outreach, through which doctors are connected by webcams to trained clinician-educators.
3. Employ Social Media
According to McKinsey & Company, doctors spend at least 1.5 hours online each workday conducting research. You might be surprised to learn, though, that at least half of that is on social media. McKinsey found that 72 percent of doctors believe that social media platforms enhance the quality of patient care, and more than 30 percent use them for professional purposes. Utilizing social media for provider education probably shouldn’t be your only method but can be an important part of an overall program.
Ensuring Accurate Medical Reviews
One of the biggest benefits of reputable independent review organizations (IROs) is that they’re able to provide access to specialists, subspecialists and board-certified physicians across the United States. At Advanced Medical Reviews, most of our physician reviewers actively practice in a clinical setting 8-12 hours per day. Their experience in dealing with complex case reviews and current evidence-based medicine enhances their extensive knowledge of medicine and the broader healthcare industry.
To learn more about AMR and the services we offer, check out our website.
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