by Kelly Caverzagie, M.D., associate dean for educational strategy, UNMC College of Medicine
EDITOR’S NOTE: This column was written by Dr. Caverzagie for the Physicians Bulletin magazine of the Metro Omaha Medical Society.
The health care environment continues to rapidly change and evolve. Technology, patient expectations and new regulations are impacting how doctors provide care.
As the associate dean for educational strategy at the UNMC College of Medicine, I am charged with the task of leading the redesign of the curriculum for the College of Medicine to reflect this changing health care environment.
How we train the next generation of doctors to practice medicine cannot be based on how we practiced 10 years ago. Instead, we need to look toward the future and how we anticipate medicine will be practiced in the next 10 years and beyond.
In this new emerging model of care, it will be essential that we teach our new generation of physicians how to become more effective communicators and leaders, how to deliver more personal and integrated care, to more effectively integrate technology into their practice, and how to continually keep an eye on patient safety and continuous quality improvement.
The following expands on some of these primary skill sets that I believe need to be incorporated into today’s curriculum to better prepare the next generation to be successful leaders in the medical field.
Enhanced leadership and communication skills to lead a team of health care providers: Physicians in the future cannot practice medicine in a vacuum. They need to become the leaders of a medical team that may include nurses, social workers, nutritionists, psychologists, pharmacists, subspecialists, home health care workers and public health officials. By working collaboratively with other providers in the health care system and larger health care community, our new physicians can help patients successfully navigate our increasingly complex health care system.
Providing a continuum of care that goes beyond the care provided in the hospital: As the leader of the health care team, our new physicians need to learn to be aware of other variables that can impact their patients’ health once they leave the hospital or clinic such as their home and socioeconomic conditions. It is critical that we arm them with the skills to be effective communicators, so they can collaborate with team members to make sure proper resources are being mobilized and ensure the full continuum of care is being met.
Emphasis on patient safety and continuous quality improvement: Health care is increasingly emphasizing standardization, patient safety, quality improvement, cost reduction and efficiency to increase overall customer value. This will require our future physicians to be leaders in defining quality and safety standards. As such, it is essential that we educate them on how to analyze data related to patient outcomes, research and quality indicators, eliminate inappropriate variations and continuously improve by applying best practices to their own patients.
A focus on more personal and integrated care: The health care model of the future is moving toward a more patient-centered approach to care that is focused on teamwork, communication, quality care, chronic disease management and prevention. Instead of treating a person only when he or she is sick or injured, physician-led health care teams will seek to promote preventive care through education and by prompting patients to seek important screenings and follow-up care. It is vital that our physician leaders learn to work with others on the team to ensure these important aspects of a patient’s care are being met.
An emphasis on population-based care: There is a fundamental change in the way medicine is being practiced with a shift from managing disease and acute care problems to managing a patient’s overall health and wellness. This also entails addressing the need to treat common health problems that occur in populations as a whole. Physicians must be savvy about the use of electronic health records, which can give them the ability to analyze data in population groups. This will allow them to address and mitigate these common health problems that may be caused by behavioral or environmental factors.