By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com
We’ve been talking about innovation in physician relations for a while. This is not about the relevancy of what we are doing, but more about how we can make a bigger impact for our organizations and for the physician relations role overall.
Today, the role of physician relations can and should extend beyond meeting volume goals and managing teams. To stay relevant, program leaders must continuously innovate, adapt to the new market realities and embrace the ever-changing physician-health system relationship dynamics. Yep, we all get that, but where should we focus?
Let’s examine two cornerstones of physician relations. We’ll determine what is still relevant and what needs a refresh.
- 1:1 Conversation with Physicians. This is what makes this whole concept work and, when done well, it delivers impactful, measurable results. Think about it, we have face-to-face conversations with the referring physician (the customer!) to understand what they need to better care for their patients. We’re able to share personalized solutions to address their unique needs based on what we uncover and learn in those conversations. This is still the most relevant cornerstone of a team’s success. Yet, it’s a struggle to master the art of meaningful conversation. Physicians and their practices are overwhelmed and busier than ever and their willingness to hear our pitch is all but gone. The refresh needed is not more pitching product. Duh, is the likely response. Yet it happens too often, and unless we change it, we risk being ineffective sooner rather than later. Sooner, might be right now. Try this… keep track for one week of how much visit time you spend talking about what you have before understanding what they need. This is ours to own and to choose to improve.
- Gather Better Intelligence. This is directly connected to having face-to-face conversations with physicians and their office staff. Field teams see what’s happening in those offices in every visit; it’s the access challenges, the complexity of our systems, and what would help physicians take better care of their patients. Our opportunity lies in proactively gathering the right intelligence. No one can gather real-time feedback and observation better than you. The refresh needed is to think like a conversational researcher. Don’t wait to be asked by the internal stakeholders. Create a proactive plan to gather and communicate insights from the field. Some insights can be actionable today, others may guide future strategic direction. That is being relevant and impactful.
Though they both sound simple, I can’t stress this enough – we must stop pitching and start learning and listening. Taking it on in a big way requires commitment. Changing your field approach is not easy, invest in making the change. We’re here to help with training, coaching, or just developing a plan to get you there. The results will be the reward. That I truly believe.
Is your program in need of a refresher? We would love to help you and your team with nationally found best practices within physician relations. Team rebuilds, assessments and trainings are all in our wheelhouse at Barlow/McCarthy. Reach out to info@barlowmccarthy.com for details.