Learning to change important for improving practice

(HealthDay)—Although physicians typically struggle with change, relying on habits created in their practice, learning to change is important in order to improve practices and better deal with the changes sweeping through medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

Physicians need to have a positive attitude to address changes. For example, physicians should change the way they think about patients doing their own research, asking what they have discovered, rather than being frustrated with self-diagnosis based on internet searches. Physicians who cannot adapt to changing patient behaviors risk losing patients. Viewing things from the perspective of the patient allows patients to feel more positive about their physicians.

According to the article, four tips can help doctors better adapt to change. Doctors should accept that the industry is changing, and that change is difficult; they should make the undesirable desirable; for example, by working with patients and utilizing their internet research. In addition, they should work on building confidence, working on small changes to build confidence in the benefits of a new approach. They should also not forget the importance of communication, both with colleagues to solve problems and with patients to understand their needs.

"It can take time to learn new ways of doing things, but doctors need to do it, because the changes in medicine aren't going away," Andi Simon, author of On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights, said in the article.

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