Tips for Physicians: Meetings with Your Collaborating APP
Regular communication is an important part of creating a productive relationship within collaborative healthcare between physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs).
Regular meetings can serve as a platform for aligning goals, sharing insights, and addressing challenges. However, the effectiveness of these meetings hinges on the topics discussed. It’s important that the meetings you have with your collaborating APP cover the right topics, as this can foster synergy, enhance patient outcomes, and fortify the bond between you and your collaborator.
In this post, we provide recommendations on the topics that physicians should prioritize when convening with their collaborating APPs.
Monthly Meetings
With Zivian, each collaboration is required to meet at least monthly and attest to the meeting. These meetings may be held one-on-one or in a group setting. The intention of these meetings is to give additional support, guidance, and education to your collaborating APP(s).
Proposed Agenda
Below is a proposed agenda for your regular meetings.
Check-in and Welcome: Begin with a quick welcome and check-in to set a positive tone for the meeting.
Review of Patient Cases: Focus on patient care issues, clinical questions, etc. Discussing any urgent or high-priority patient cases that require immediate attention or coordination should not be held until the monthly meeting – these cases should be communicated in real time with the physician.
Operational Questions: These are questions around logistics such as med-mal providers, recommendations on EHRs, or thoughts around particular workflows or best practices.
Quick Updates: Share brief updates on recent medical developments, important guidelines, or essential information that everyone should be aware of.
Case Studies and Complex Cases: Analyze complex patient cases in detail, exploring diagnostic challenges, treatment options, and the rationale behind decisions made. This can enhance clinical reasoning skills.
Additional Meeting Topics and Discussion Items
If you would like to discuss other things in your monthly meetings, here are some proposed topics to continuing fostering a good and supportive collaboration.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Discuss strategies for collaborating effectively with other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and specialists, to provide holistic patient care.
Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)
Deepen the understanding of EBM principles and critically appraise the latest research studies and their relevance to clinical practice.
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Address ethical dilemmas, legal issues, and informed consent, especially in cases where decisions might be challenging.
Quality Improvement Projects
Plan and execute quality improvement projects aimed at enhancing patient outcomes, reducing errors, and optimizing workflow processes.
Patient Education and Counseling Techniques
Share techniques for effective patient education and counseling, especially for chronic disease management and lifestyle modifications.
Cultural Competency and Diversity Training
Explore strategies for providing culturally competent care and ensuring sensitivity to the diverse backgrounds and beliefs of patients.
Mental Health and Well-Being
Discuss strategies for managing stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout in healthcare professionals. Promote mental health and well-being among team members.
Medical Technology and Innovations
Stay updated on the latest medical technologies, telemedicine trends, and innovations that can improve patient care and practice efficiency.
Continuing Education Plans
Develop continuing education plans based on their professional goals and areas of interest.
Patient Safety
Review patient safety protocols, adverse event reporting, and strategies for preventing medical errors.
Healthcare Policy and Advocacy
Discuss healthcare policy changes, advocacy efforts, and how healthcare providers can engage in shaping healthcare policy at local, state, or national levels.
Research and Publication Opportunities
Encourage team members to engage in research projects and explore opportunities for publication, if applicable.
Long-Term Planning
Develop long-term goals and strategic plans for the healthcare team, including expansion, specialization, or adopting new services.
Conclusion
Remember, communicating with your collaborating APP is more than a formality – it is the cornerstone of a partnership that will impact patient care profoundly.
Physicians can help create a collaborative relationship that prioritizes communication, mutual respect, and continuous improvement.
We recommend approaching your meetings armed with a commitment to form a partnership that not only meets professional needs but, more importantly, enhances the quality of healthcare for the benefit of the patients you both serve.
