Professional Interactions – Best Practices Series –
Shared Values and Code of Conduct
By Fred Corbus
This article first appeared in Round-up Magazine, official publication of the Maricopa County Medical Society.
Here’s the truth about every medical practice:
- “People are thinking about each other’s behavior, but nobody is talking about it!”
- Why? Because there is no license!
How do you provide the license? You get everybody together to agree on the rules. Then, you hold roundtable discussions to review each person's evaluation of how well the group is adhering to the rules and what they can do about any problems. Many of the most important rules can be expressed in a statement of Shared Values and a Code of Conduct.
Definitions
- Shared Values: Bottom line values that we, as a group, want to be recognized for.
- Code of Conduct: Specific behavior that we want to hold ourselves accountable for.
As you can see, there is a close relationship between the two and some of my clients have combined the two concepts into one document (sometimes called “Shared Principles”).
Case Study
About seven years ago, I was called in to a mid-sized, hospital-based private practice. The group was successful and had been in existence for several years. During the most recent growth period, however, cliques had formed based on practice locations, sub-specialty, tenure, and, of course, hierarchy. Individuals exhibited a wide range of behavior and values; some were role models, but others demonstrated textbook cases of deviant behavior.
The group had a strong medical director who stepped in when an issue became critical. What was missing, however, was a license for members to openly talk about the kind of professional interactions environment in which they would like to practice medicine. Peer pressure directed toward discussing acceptable behavior was non-existent.
With the help of the board of directors, we launched a “mini public relations campaign” for the purpose of generating the needed excitement for a practice wide physicians’ meeting to develop Shared Values and a Code of Conduct.
After this meeting, behavior and resulting relationships improved almost overnight. However, habits were entrenched, and regular roundtable discussions focusing on how well the group was doing were necessary. During some of these sessions, personal improvement agreements were “respectfully extracted” from individuals who were obviously contributing to the problem.
Below is an example of a List of Shared Values that physicians might use for evaluating their group. Following the List of Shared Values is an example of a list of specific behaviors that might appear in a Code of Conduct.
SAMPLE LIST OF SHARED VALUES |
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Individual Physician’s Evaluation of the Group’s Adherence to its Values |
QUALITY CARE |
Superior
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Practice
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Good
Typical
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MediocrePractice
Exceptions |
Poor Practice
Failure |
Patient satisfaction |
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Continuity of care |
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Active participation in internal peer review |
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TEAMWORK |
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Covering for each other |
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Respect for each other’s treatment plans |
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Open communication and feedback |
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POSITIVE ATTITUDE |
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Turning negative situations into positive opportunities |
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Positive reinforcement |
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Support for people achievements and failure comeback |
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PRINCIPLES |
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Commitment |
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Loyalty |
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Accountability |
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Integrity |
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SERVICE |
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Participation in hospital and community affairs |
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Participation in professional education |
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SAMPLE LIST FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT |
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Individual Physician’s Evaluation of the Group’s
Adherence to its Values |
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Superior
Consistent
Practice
Trait |
Good
Typical
Practice
Trait |
Mediocre
Practice
Exceptions |
Poor
Practice
Failure |
1. Be willing to provide cross coverage |
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2. Remain flexible: call trading, schedules |
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3. Provide patient care as a clinical team |
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4. Avoid negative characterizations of healthcare providers |
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5. Professionally represent the practice in all settings |
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6. Seek appropriate forums for sensitive topics |
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7. Address mistakes with honest & timely communications |
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8. Actively listen to each other |
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9. Focus on causes and solutions, not people |
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10. Actively participate and contribute values |
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11. Earn each other’s trust and respect |
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12. Hold each other accountable to the code |
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“The development of documents such as these is an investment of time; requiring meetings where participants listen and understand. Giving a joyful environment within which to practice medicine makes it all worthwhile!”
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