Think Globally: Quality and Safety in American Medicine

Young physicians need to learn leadership skills, so they can effectively be captains of the team, not just authority figures, he said.

Physician leaders also must focus on the specific leadership topics and tasks that will drive health care system improvement in the 21st century. Since as a profession, physicians lost control of cost and access issues, they must now speak loudly and take a leadership role in improving quality and safety, according to Dr. Shine.

Physicians must be willing to learn and use information technology to create the evidence-based data that support the necessary changes that are needed in the American health care system; quality cannot be measured if it is not quantified. This is how the value of what we do becomes part of the discussion with policy makers and how we can provide quality of care to our patients in a safe environment.

References

1. Computer Physician Order Entry. Factsheet. The Leapfrog Group. February 27, 2007. www.leapfroggroup.org .

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2. Durieux P, Nizard R, Ravaud P, et al. A clinical decision support system for prevention of venous thromboembolism: effect on physician behavior. JAMA 2000;283(21):2816-21.

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3. Vital Signs Update: Doctors Say e-Health Delivers. Boston Consulting Group, September 2001, www.bcg.com .

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©2007 The Triological Society