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Physician performance feedback in a Canadian academic center

Dennis Garvin (Department of Medical Affairs, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada)
James Worthington (Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada and Medical Affairs, Quality, and Performance, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada)
Shaun McGuire (Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada and Bruyere Continuing Care, Ottawa, Canada)
Stephanie Burgetz (Department of Education, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada)
Alan J. Forster (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada)
Andrea Patey (Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada)
Caroline Gerin-Lajoie (Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, and Department of Physician Health and Wellness, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada)
Jeffrey Turnbull (The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada)
Virginia Roth (University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, and The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada, and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada)

Leadership in Health Services

ISSN: 1751-1879

Article publication date: 11 September 2017

Issue publication date: 19 October 2017

227

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims at the implementation and early evaluation of a comprehensive, formative annual physician performance feedback process in a large academic health-care organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach was used to introduce a formative feedback process to provide physicians with comprehensive feedback on performance and to support professional development. This initiative responded to organization-wide engagement surveys through which physicians identified effective performance feedback as a priority. In 2013, physicians primarily affiliated with the organization participated in a performance feedback process, and physician satisfaction and participant perceptions were explored through participant survey responses and physician leader focus groups. Training was required for physician leaders prior to conducting performance feedback discussions.

Findings

This process was completed by 98 per cent of eligible physicians, and 30 per cent completed an evaluation survey. While physicians endorsed the concept of a formative feedback process, process improvement opportunities were identified. Qualitative analysis revealed the following process improvement themes: simplify the tool, ensure leaders follow process, eliminate redundancies in data collection (through academic or licensing requirements) and provide objective quality metrics. Following physician leader training on performance feedback, 98 per cent of leaders who completed an evaluation questionnaire agreed or strongly agreed that the performance feedback process was useful and that training objectives were met.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a physician performance feedback model, leadership training approach and first-year implementation outcomes. The results of this study will be useful to health administrators and physician leaders interested in implementing physician performance feedback or improving physician engagement.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Jessica Chamberlain for assistance with manuscript preparation.

Citation

Garvin, D., Worthington, J., McGuire, S., Burgetz, S., Forster, A.J., Patey, A., Gerin-Lajoie, C., Turnbull, J. and Roth, V. (2017), "Physician performance feedback in a Canadian academic center", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 457-474. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-08-2016-0037

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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