Action Learning in a Single Surgical Specialty Practice: A Model for Addressing Physician Disruptive Behavior.

摘要

The health care industry is evolving at a rapid rate. Medical groups are being threatened by consolidation, reduced reimbursement, increasing costs and complex governmental regulations and rules. The intensity of the surgical environment, the pressures of treating patients and the challenges of the business of medicine create the perfect storm for physicians to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned with their profession.;In an independent medical group, the inherent strain of being the owner, a surgeon, a business person, and a patient advocate cascades into the confines of the group. In this environment, physicians may feel less scrutiny and more comfort in venting those inherent frustrations by engaging in disruptive and unprofessional behavior.;Physician disruptive behavior, as defined by this research, is verbal outbursts, physical threats, foul or threatening language, inappropriate non-verbal behaviors, such as facial expressions or manners, refusing to perform assigned tasks, quietly exhibiting uncooperative attitudes during routine activities and/or covertly participating in behaviors that undermine the medical practice reputation.;This positivistic case study explores the research question: How does addressing physician disruptive behavior with the principles of action learning impact the organization's health and performance? The researcher interviewed a total of 23 participants from single specialty practices with eight or more physician owners from a broad geographic area. The researcher found that action learning is an effective tool for addressing physician disruptive behavior and positively impacting the organization's health and performance. However, additional work is needed in medical practice to ensure consistent monitoring and evaluation of disruptive physician behavior.;Keywords: positivistic case study, physician disruptive behavior, action learning, medical group practice, single specialty medical groups.