There is a lot of complexity in how the healthcare industry is managed—from the growing medical knowledge to many logistical factors. There have been efforts to improve how things are done—from more oversight in the healthcare sector to bridging the gap between clinicians and administrators.

Good understanding between these two parties starts with building bridges with good mutual understanding while focusing on patient experience and outcomes. This post will walk you through how you can bridge the gap between clinicians and the administration so that operations can run smoothly and resources available for the clinicians to execute their duties efficiently. 

Bridging the Gap Between Clinicians and Administration through Effective Communication 

  1. Optimize Healthcare Resource Planning and Allocation 

There is a need to utilize labor resources and recruit experts effectively. From the Covid-19 pandemic, organizations have realized the need to have the right talent. With a centralized staff, healthcare organizations are assured of better resource visibility.

When the healthcare systems are optimized and there's better resource planning and allocation, clinicians can utilize the resources and attend to patient needs. Reevaluate your current staff and see if they can match patient needs daily when there are enough resources.

Staffing and scheduling are essential in any healthcare system because they help healthcare organizations to manage the available resources. When you centralize your healthcare staffing, you streamline healthcare processes, making healthcare operations run smoothly.

Finally, scheduling and centralizing your healthcare staff can help improve the accuracy of the data you have, reducing any administrative burdens that may arise in this volatile economic environment, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. 

2. Incorporating Interhospital Communications 

3. Leveraging Intrahospital Communications  

It doesn't stop at interhospital communications—intrahospital communications are also still an issue. Intrahospital communications refer to communications within the same healthcare facility—from coordination of hospital room changes to appointments.

There is no effective communication between the clinicians and the administrators; the processes are inefficient within the hospital. And when there is a decrease in process efficiency, the hospital incurs more costs, or even worse, patients' lives are endangered.

Administrators should find a way to improve intrahospital communications so that every process in the hospital runs smoothly without any challenges. This way, physicians can serve patients better, and costs are kept low. 

4. Move From the Strategic to Operational Level 

We know communications are best at a strategic level, but you must also understand that effective communications don't just stop there—it has to move down the operational level. That's why clinicians and administrators must come together and find a way on how they are going to develop processes—from saving plans to enhancing the quality of care metrics.

For example, suppose a healthcare facility's main objective is to enhance quality. In that case, the administrators should call clinicians upon taking part in the discussions and finding common ground on how they will develop the best strategies to push the hospital's objective forward.

Clinicians need to be consulted in essential operational decisions because they are the people who'll run the operations after all. According to Dr. Holmen, if a healthcare facility needs to reduce costs, the administrators must involve the physicians in every decision they make. This way, operations run smoothly, and clinicians get the chance to have the needed resources to deliver top-notch services. 

5. Listen, Listen, and Listen

6. Involve Physicians in Conversations at the Strategic Level  

We talked about the conventions moving from the strategic level to the operational level so that clinicians can also have their input; it's also essential that you involve physicians at the top-level decision making—at the strategic level.

When administrators make decisions on their own at the strategic level, there are chances that physicians will experience challenges at the optional level. To avoid rectifying the problems at the operational level, involve the physicians early enough to address any issues before they are implemented.

And the conversion between the administrators and physicians must occur regularly. This is because there needs to be consistency to ensure that the momentum in operations is not lost along the way, disrupting the smooth operations. 

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration Helping Bridge Communication 

The above should help you bridge the communication gap between clinicians and the administration, but you also need a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration as an administrator.

This should equip you with effective communication skills to help manage your clinicians and ensure enough resources and adequate training to help them serve patients better.

If you haven't received your higher degree yet, you need to enroll and get started. You'll be furthering your education and learning the most critical skills that will help you manage your clinicians better.