Medical practitioners are often revered for what they do in operating rooms and research facilities. But, it's also essential for these same professionals to build their leadership skills to effectively run a medical practice, according to Internist Gregory Duhon.
Developing entrepreneurial skills that result in effective business leadership might seem outside the wheelhouse of medical practitioners. However, they can apply clinical expertise they've built over the years to enhance their business leadership skills.
Here are some ways that can be done to foster collaboration, effective decision-making and employee well-being.
Diagnosis
One of the most crucial aspects of clinical expertise is diagnosis. Practitioners need to gain medical knowledge to be able to correctly identify issues so they can build proper care plans. The effectiveness of medical diagnosis ultimately has the biggest impact on patient outcomes, since it's where all care plans start.
Medical businesses experience issues from time to time that need to be correctly diagnosed so they can be fixed. While these problems may not be medically related, the same investigative approach to identification and discovery can be used so that a corrective plan of action can be created to ensure the practice is able to continue operating smoothly.
Empathy
Healthcare professionals need to consistently display empathy to their patients. By doing so, they're able to more effectively connect with them, which helps to foster a collaborative and transparent relationship.
Doctors are able to do their jobs more effectively when their patients feel more comfortable sharing information with them, and when patients are more receptive to information and suggestions doctors give to them.
The same goes for the office environment at the medical practice.
Medical practitioners need to be true leaders at the practice so that all employees who work underneath them feel like valued members of the team. By displaying empathy throughout the day, medical leaders can foster a sense of belonging among employees, which leads to a happier and healthier work culture that ultimately trickles down to how all patients are treated -- both inside and outside of medical environments.
Communication
Clear and effective communication is an essential trait that healthcare professionals need to develop if they want to become successful in their discipline. Dr. Gregory Duhon, MD, says that doctors who aren't able to able to establish clear, open and understandable lines of communication with their patients will have a hard time getting anything done -- or creating healthy outcomes for their patients.
Similarly, medical leaders who aren't able to create similar clear and effective lines of communication among their employees are likely to have a difficult time running a well-oiled medical practice.
Effective practices involve more than just clinical work. They also involve patient communication in setting up and changing appointments, following up on care plans, and dealing with billing.
By establishing clear communication channels from the top down, medical leaders are more likely to create an office environment in which every employee communicates in an effective and amenable way to all patients as well, every time there is a touchpoint with a patient or family member of a patient.
About Dr. Gregory Duhon, MD
In the domains of healthcare and business, Dr. Gregory Duhon, MD, is a notable figure. As an Internal Medicine Physician and Hospitalist, he excels in high-pressure environments like the ICU and emergency room, known for his compassionate care and volunteer work aiding flood victims and those facing opioid addiction.
Dr. Duhon's pursuits extend beyond medicine – he's a dedicated Ironman trainee, an avid traveler, a skilled gourmet chef, and a passionate cultivator of exotic passion fruit. His journey is a tapestry of expertise and diverse interests, making him a dynamic professional in every sense.
This article was originally published by Business News Ledger.