CDIMPromotion of medical cooperation is still one of the most important issues
I hear that the number of outpatients is decreasing and the number of beds is declining due to the corona disaster, but promotion of medical cooperation continues to be one of the most important issues in hospital management to stabilize profits. And I think you are.
Even in a difficult business environment, the management of hospitals that have built a strong relationship of trust with the referral clinic seems to be stable. And, in order to promote medical cooperation, I think that the basic attitude is to "listen to the opinions of the partners sincerely".
Case of restarting from the questionnaire
In order to promote cooperation, a 400-bed local hospital has conducted a questionnaire survey as a whole. The director gave a strong instruction, "I really want to know what kind of requests the local clinic teachers have for our hospital." Not only the medical cooperation room, but also the office staff and the nurses joined the comedy, and as a result of not only mailing but also visiting distribution, we were able to get a considerable number of answers.
Then, the effect was that the number of referrals increased immediately after the questionnaire was conducted. It seems that this hospital's seriousness toward promoting cooperation was conveyed, saying, "Is there any problem with our response? Please let us know if you have any requests."
In addition, a committee was set up to build a continuous relationship of trust, rather than ending with the temporary effect of being evaluated for conducting the questionnaire, and the response to the improvement requests received was examined in the hospital. It was. There were many things that could not be dealt with immediately, but we firmly accepted the requests and told the local clinics that we would take concrete steps to improve them, along with a summary report of the questionnaire results. I think this kind of exchange is indispensable for creating a hospital that is supported by the clinic.
Among the respondents, there was a practitioner teacher who wrote several requests (dissatisfaction) separately, saying "I can not write on this form". We would like to thank the teachers who wrote their opinions that hurt the hospital from the cooperation room, and after that, the clinic became the hospital's royal customer (referral source).
Request from the referral source
The main requests received for this survey were as follows:
① I'm not sure if it's okay to introduce it (I don't know the medical results and I can't see the face of the doctor in charge)
② I want you to accept the introduced patient properly (it is difficult to make a reservation, I made a reservation but waited)
③ I would like you to be informed of the status of medical treatment in detail (the patient first notified you before receiving a reply or report).
④ I want the introduced patients to be returned without enclosing them.
⑤ Don't just ask for patient referrals, but also introduce them from there
⑥ I want you to respond more to overtime and urgent patient acceptance
Similar requests are received when conducting questionnaires and hearings at other hospitals.
Is the strength of your hospital properly communicated?
It is often the case that the clinic does not evaluate or misrepresents that it is the strength of the hospital. Regularly grasping this recognition gap is very useful for subsequent countermeasure planning.
In many cases, hospitals that complain that the number of referral patients in their area of expertise is small are not able to fully convey their strengths to local referral sources. And I don't know that.
When interviewing local clinics, it is often said that the results of clinical departments listed on the homepage have not been updated to the latest data.
Listen to the other person's voice without being alone
As an outside third party, we often visit local hospitals, clinics, and paramedics on behalf of our client hospitals to hear from them, but we ask for their candid opinions that are difficult to say directly. Often, the perception of self-reliance at the client hospital becomes apparent.
Even in the management of a general company, who is the important customer who says "I really want" the main product / service, and why that customer is the product of that company while there are other products / services.・ It is important to pursue whether you will choose a service.
In medical cooperation, after clarifying the role (positioning strategy) that your hospital should play in the area, why should you introduce the partner (referral source) to our hospital while there are other hospitals? It is important to keep asking and confirming whether or not you are doing so.
・ Because the treatment results of our clinical department are highly evaluated.
・ Because it evaluates our hospital's response
・ Because doctors know each other well
・ Because there was a recommendation from another doctor
・ Because the patient requested
・ Because the hospital I always introduce was so busy that I didn't receive an introduction.
・ Because it's just close
In order to find out the real reason, it may be necessary to build some relationships and then think about the timing and method of asking questions. It is necessary to identify the determinants of referrals as specifically as possible and work to ensure that they are due to the strengths of the hospital.
Toward smooth two-way communication
There is often a recognition gap between the referral source and the hospital being referred to, but efforts must always be made to fill that recognition gap. We will provide opportunities for direct interviews and discussions on a regular basis regarding the situation of the clinic and the personnel system of the hospital on the receiving side, and if we can understand each other's situation more, the same doctors and medical staff will understand each other. , It is a common story that cooperation progresses.
In order to promote such smooth two-way communication and build a relationship of trust, it is important to first "listen and understand the situation of the other party."
In addition to explaining the strengths of the hospital and asking for referrals, listen carefully to the situation and requests of the referral source, and if there is anything that can be improved or can not be supported by this response, the information that the other party wants is I think it is necessary to think carefully about what it is and to constantly strengthen cooperation promotion activities while rotating the Plan / Do / See cycle as shown in the figure.
Responsibility: Yasuhiro Fujii
Yasuhiro Fujii (Senior Consultant, CDI Medical Co., Ltd.)
Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Letters (Department of Human Sciences).
After working at Lifetime Partners Co., Ltd., EY Advisory & Consulting Co., Ltd., and others, he continues to this day.