Reference no: EM132986069
Case:
- Consumer-Driven Changes for the ABC Health Options Clinic
Robert has been made the new director of the ABC Health Care Options Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. The clinic is a large, freestanding, multispecialty clinic providing general and specialty health services to the southeastern Phoenix area. It has been in existence since 1963, with 53 physicians and 10 multi-physician groups. The Internal Medicine (IMP), Family Practice (FMP) and OB-GYN (OGP) groups are the largest and have a history of exerting the most control in the clinic's affairs.
Before he took early retirement, the previous director began a plan to make the clinic more "consumer-friendly," incorporating new additions, such as mandatory electronic medical records based on a tethered system, Saturday office hours, and two freestanding satellite minor emergency and primary care clinics in southeastern Phoenix to assist with the uninsured and underinsured population groups. In the last meeting, the chiefs of staff for each of the three primary physician groups expressed their opinions regarding some of the new changes, particularly the satellite clinics for the uninsured and underinsured populations. Dr. Smee, chief of staff for IMP, was concerned that this would bring in "an unfavorable sort into our clinic," decrease their fiscal solvency, and increase the liability. Whereas Dr. Loo, chief of staff for FMP, felt that this was a good way that the clinic can impact the issue of lack of access to care and would increase its ability to provide quality health care to all but was wary of how the clinics would be staffed particularly over the weekends.
Dr. Rodriguez, an endocrinologist specializing in diabetes care, stated concern about the tethered electronic medical record system, which is proposed to be linked with Google Health and HealthVault. Her primary concern was the safety of the information and presumed privacy of health information in personal health records that would be linked to the clinics records. Drs. Blue and Green from rheumatology and orthopedics felt that this push to increase the clinic's public image and consumer appeal is a good strategy and one which could increase the clinic's ability to remain competitive. Mary Johnson, the lead nurse practitioner (NP) from the family practice group, felt that the move toward a more consumer-friendly system and increasing access to care for all was a good move and stated that she and six other NPs were willing to staff the satellite clinics on Saturdays on a rotating basis.
For the last two weeks, Robert has been reviewing all the meeting notes and interviewing representatives from the physicians in each clinic. While the majority of the physicians and groups were in favor of the changes, the Internal Medicine group (IMP) was opposed to the changes and felt threatened by any new change to its accustomed routines.
Robert has called an all-clinic meeting on Friday to discuss these changes and how they will impact the routine of the clinic or if they should be done at all. As he ponders his situation, he has to decide what the best choices are.
- What are the key problems?
- How will these consumer-driven changes affect the clinic overall? Per physician group?
- Are the tethered medical records a good idea?
- What ethical concerns have been expressed by the physicians that could impact the success (or failure) of these new changes?
- Are the satellite clinics such a good idea? What will their impact be on the clinic financially? Will one group bear the majority of the financial obligation and liabilities for this population?
Book References: Burns,l.,Bradley,E.,Weiner,B. (2012). Shortell and Kaluzny's Healthcare Management: Organization Design and Behaviour (7th ed.).