Can Applying the M&M Process Benefit Your Practice?

Last month we looked at the variance between medical skills and practice results. This month we will look at one of the primary reasons that your medical skills improve but your practice does not.

As a physician, you are familiar with Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conferences and the focus on learning from mistakes. M & M conferences are designed to be a safe venue to identify areas of improvement and promote professionalism, ethical integrity, and transparency with the goal to improve patient care.

How can this process help your practice?

Building a growth-focused practice starts with creating an environment where your staff isn’t afraid to admit their mistakes. When mistakes occur it’s important that the situation is reviewed to find the root cause. This occurs by asking non-assumptive questions, “Can you walk me through the situation?” Do not assume that the patient is always right and that your staff is wrong. Slow down and remain positive with your words and actions.

Our clients have incorporated a “Learnings” area into their staff meeting agenda. This provides a dedicated time for the team to focus on the learnings from their mistakes during the previous week.

Recently, I participated in a staff meeting of one of our clients. During the “learnings” portion of the meeting, the physician shared that he had received a complaint from a patient regarding the length of the wait times on the phone. He had shared the information with the office manager who then looked into the complaint and determined that the phones had reset, so the lines were no longer properly identified. This created confusion among the staff and resulted in delays in answering calls. The manager collaborated with the vendor and quickly resolved the issue.

The physician, manager, and staff left the meeting feeling positive about their “learning.”

A practice culture focused on growth requires that leadership admits their own mistakes and asks questions whenever a mistake is made.

Working through mistakes collaboratively to find the learnings ensures that your staff feels safe to admit and grow from their mistakes.

If you are ready to build a growth-focused practice, please contact me at smays@impactpracticeconsultants.com.