The results of a Doctors.net.uk survey released today reveal the extent to which comprehensive engagement with clinicians will be key to the success of QIPP (the NHS quality, innovation, productivity and prevention programme).
The survey of over 600 doctors from across the UK revealed a widespread lack of understanding about the QIPP agenda and the aim to improve both quality patient outcomes and productivity. For example, four in ten clinicians (42 per cent) have not yet heard of QIPP and its reframing of strategic objectives, neither have they been exposed to its specific underlying themes around improving patient care and measurable cost savings.
Of those doctors that knew about QIPP, nine out of ten (87 per cent) do not yet view its introduction as something that will make a positive difference to healthcare.
Dr Tim Ringrose, medical director at Doctors.net.uk, said: “Doctors are passionate about improving patient care, and believe they have a real role in how to redesign care pathways to drive the improvement and efficiencies. The NHS needs to involve and engage clinicians directly in the process and quickly to help meet the financial constraints.
“It obviously requires high levels of cooperation between managers and clinicians to harness innovative methods and changes in working practices, especially in the priority care pathways, such as diabetes, mental health, coronary heart disease and cancer care. Doctors traditionally respond poorly to top-down initiatives – they would much rather be instrumental in designing and implementing localised solutions.
“While the sentiment unearthed by our survey is clear, there is a significant opportunity to harness innovative online engagement channels that have the proven capability to influence clinical behaviour en masse in shorter time-frames than traditional methods and channels.
“Our work with the NHS Institute on the high volume care pathways programme with clinicians resulted in 8,400 doctors changing their practice in 12 months as a result of viewing relevant content and a further 20,000 doctors evaluating their clinical practice to improve quality and efficiency of care.
