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The Orthopaedist’s Role in Healthcare System Governance

  • Symposium: Aligning Physician and Hospital Incentives
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Historically, physicians as participants in healthcare governance were shunned because of perceived potential for conflict of interest. This maxim is being revisited as health systems begin to appreciate the value presented by physician leaders.

Questions/purposes

This overview of the orthopaedist’s role in healthcare governance will be addressed in three sections: first to identify the need for change in American healthare, second to examine the role that physicians should play in governing over this inevitable change, and third to outline strategies for effective participation for those physicians wishing to play a role in healthcare governance.

Methods

The PubMed data set was queried applying the search commands “governance AND (healthcare OR hospital) AND (doctor OR physician OR surgeon)” for the time period 1969 to 2012. In addition, the bibliographies of relevant articles were reviewed. This search strategy returned 404 titles. Abstract and article review identified 19 relevant to the topic. Bibliographic review identified five more articles of relevance forming the foundation for this review.

Results

The delivery of American health care will require change to face current economic realities. Organizations that embrace this change guided by the insight of physician governors are well positioned to recognize the simultaneous improvement in value and quality. Although few physicians are formally trained for these roles, multiple paths to becoming effective governors are available.

Conclusions

In this environment of rapid change in healthcare delivery, the medical insight of physician leadership will prove invaluable. Governing bodies should reach out to talented physicians and administratively talented physicians should rise to this challenge.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Scott & White Healthcare, 2401 South 31st Street, Temple, TX, 76508, USA

    Robert A. Probe MD

Authors
  1. Robert A. Probe MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert A. Probe MD.

Additional information

The author certifies that he has or may receive payments or benefits, during the study period, an amount of USD 10,000–USD 100,000 from Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ, USA. The author is on the Board of Trustees of Scott & White Healthcare and Chair, Board of Directors of Scott & White Memorial Hospital.

All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

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Probe, R.A. The Orthopaedist’s Role in Healthcare System Governance. Clin Orthop Relat Res 471, 1784–1791 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-013-2950-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-013-2950-6

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