Where Your Satisfaction Ranks with Physician Executives

I remember when physician leaders were the next big thing in healthcare. Physicians were going to run our hospitals, health systems and even our health insurance companies because only they possessed the unique combination of clinical and business smarts to lead organizations into the value-based future.

Well, it never really happened. A value-based future or a wave of physician leaders. Sure, doctors hold executive posts in many hospitals, health systems and health plans, but not to the extent many experts predicted. The question is why? My answer is not all physicians like their patients. They certainly don’t see them as customers in a “customer is always right” kind of way.

Maybe that’s why they don’t want those top jobs? Maybe that’s why they don’t get those top jobs?

A new study published in NEJM Catalyst backs up my contention. The study is based on a survey of about 250 physician leaders. Most of the respondents were medical directors or department heads at hospitals and health systems. Fewer than 10% were presidents and/or CEOs. Five researchers affiliated with health systems in Texas wanted to know about the physician leaders’ roles, responsibilities, training, education and challenges.

Asked to rank 10 challenges in their roles, the No. 1 challenge, cited by 51.6% of the respondents, was “juggling clinical and leadership responsibility.” Near the bottom of the ranking, coming in at No. 9, was “patient satisfaction” at 9.5%. Patient satisfaction would have been the lowest-ranked challenge for these M.D. leaders if it wasn’t for “regulatory compliance,” cited by just 9.1% of the doctors.

Now, it could be that patients are so satisfied with the respondents’ provider organization that satisfying patients isn’t a challenge anymore. Maybe. But I doubt it.

I also got the vibe from the researchers that they doubt it, too.

The researchers broke down two survey responses by gender. Some 26% of the male physician leaders said they have personnel challenges with other leaders compared with only 15% of the female physician leaders. Further, only 5% of the female physician respondents said patient satisfaction was a challenge compared with 13% of the male physician respondents.

Both cited “communication skills” and “emotional intelligence” as the top two leadership skills to have in their jobs. The least important? “Writing ability.” Give me a break.

Anyway, I recently wrote a blog post about how consumers pick health plans and providers in the aptly titled, “How Consumers Pick Health Plans and Providers.” Maybe one criterion, from a patient satisfaction point of view, should be whether a male doctor runs the health plan, hospital or health system? If the answer is yes, maybe pick a different health plan, hospital or health system. Your satisfaction is a low priority.