Week 7 Diss DDHA 8600
Due by Day 3
Post an explanation of your approach as a current or future healthcare administration leader on what necessary steps you might implement to manage this situation considering the best interests of the hospital, medical staff, and patient population. Explain your rationale and implications of your decision(s).
Difficult Colleague
The Healthcare Industry is no exception for difficult colleagues, and it is imperative for
healthcare provides to be able to collaborate effectively to provide quality care to patients. Poor
communication may lead to poor patient outcomes. Emphasis has been placed on
interprofessional communication, particularly between physicians and leadership in the health
system, as this dynamic is crucial for the advancement and growth of the health organization
(Lapsley & Wilhelm, 2000).
To deal with this situation effectively, first the type of "difficult colleague" that Dr. Stein
is must be identified. There numerous types of difficult colleagues to deal with in healthcare, but
the main ones are as follow:
The Impaired Physician
The term "impaired doctor" usually describes the most troublesome of abnormal
behavior, such as psychosis, cognitive impairment, or addiction. Impaired physician impairment
usually refers to a physician or situation in which physicians are considered unable to perform
their professional duties, often due to issues including mental or physical illness. In the case of
this scenario, Dr. Stein is not an impaired physician as he is able to perform his duties
exceptionally well as he is the top earner for department (Rosenstein & Naylor, 2012).
The Problem Doctor
The term "problem doctor" can be defined as those with poor clinical skills. In 1994, a
study showed that 850 physicians of the British National Health System during a 5-year period
found that about 6% had been considered for disciplinary actions. Based on this type of
definition, Dr. Stein does not have poor clinical skills when it comes to his direct service, but due
to his lack to commitment to patient safety it can be argued he has poor clinical skills in the
realm of patient safety (Serour, Othman & Khalifah, 2009).
The Disruptive Doctor
The term "disruptive doctor" is used to describe a lower level of abnormal behavior than
that of the impaired physician. The AMA defines disruptive behavior as personal conduct,
whether verbal or physical, that affects or that potentially may affect patient care negatively
constitutes disruptive behavior (Lapsley & Wilhelm, 2000). Based on this definition, Dr. Stein
falls in this category as his actions can have negative impact on the patient care due to non-
conformity to maintaining the standard for patient safety.
Next Steps
Now, that the type of difficult colleague has been identified, it is imperative for the legal
team to be involved. In addition, all meetings and interaction must be documented by Human
Resources personnel. This step ensures that the proper protocol is followed to minimize any legal
impact that the organization might suffer due to Dr. Stein. The legal team will provide the best
advice regarding the policy for this