Practice Management Curriculum Research Articles

Practice management in undergraduate dental program: The need among dental students.

The objective of this study is to assess the opinion of dental students regarding the necessity for a practice management (PM) course in their curriculum. To determine the necessity of a PM course in dental programs, a series of questions was developed and given to 100 dental students. Dental students were asked a series of questions about the necessity of this course, and responses were gathered. The questionnaire included time management, patient management, teamwork, leadership quality, and other requirements of the course. According to the results, dentistry students desired that the PM curriculum cover subjects such as teamwork, confidence, the value of the PM course, time management, patient management abilities, leadership qualities, and others. Most of the responses obtained from the students agreed that the PM curriculum must be taught with the course for better management. The development of any course should be based on the need and opinion of the students who pursue the course of dentistry. Thus, this study evaluates the need for a PM course in an undergraduate (UG) dental program.

Practice management curricular changes may lead to enhanced preparedness for practice.

The 2018 American Dental Education Association Survey of Dental School Seniors showed that 62.5% of graduates felt prepared in practice administration compared to 49.5% in 2013. The aim of this study was to survey and Internet search U.S. Dental Schools' Practice Management curriculum (PMC) to assess if and what changes, made in the past 5 years, may account for the continued increase in dental graduates' perception of preparedness for practice METHODS: An electronic survey was emailed to 64 dental schools querying factors for changes in PMC, updates in instructors, instructional methods, technology, topics, hours, and content enhancements. In addition, if a dual degree in business administration was developed or planned in the future. Twenty-three schools responded for a 36.0% response rate. All participants (100.0%) indicated PMC changes, 73.9% responded that changes were motivated by student interest, and 60.9% planned future PMC improvements. All respondents (100.0%) updated subject matter and 52.2% had added technology, including Web-based business model and simulation courses. Two schools added dual degree MBA programs in 2017 due to student interest in entrepreneurship and administrative goals. The study showed that upgrades in topics and teaching methods with Web-based technology, dual degrees, and additional focus on PMC hours, sequence, and number of practice administration courses in D1 and D2 years may be contributory factors for the development of enhanced skills and enhanced attitudes of graduates for practice readiness. Future study is needed to assess if these PMC improvements and advanced business courses have been successful in practicing dentists' careers.

Smoothing the Transition Points in Canadian Medical Education.

In 2010, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Collège des médecins du Québec, College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada launched the Future of Medical Education in Canada Postgraduate (FMEC PG) Project to examine postgraduate medical education (PGME) in Canada and make recommendations for improvement. One recommendation that emerged concerns the transitions learners experience across the undergraduate medical education-PGME-practice continuum. The FMEC PG, using a thorough process, developed projects to address these often-tumultuous transitions for the learner, aiming to provide support, tools, and standards for the learner's educational journey.With leadership by two senior academics and the Transitions Implementation Committee, three working groups helped implement these transitions projects, which addressed (1) the medical-school-to-residency transition, (2) career planning and the residency matching process, and (3) the residency-to-practice transition. Work products include the development of a learner education handover protocol and the establishment of pan-Canadian entrustable professional activities to be used nationally to help define expectations for new graduates entering residencies. A postmatch boot camp tool and a simulated night on-call tool were developed and are available to all medical schools. National standards are being promoted for career services counseling and best practices in residency selection. A practice management curriculum framework, mentorship resources, resiliency training for graduating residents, and the entry-level disciplines of residency are also being explored.Ultimately, with system-wide change and better integration of all players, transitions for Canada's learners will greatly improve.

Using Assessments of Dental Students' Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy to Aid Practice Management Education.

In the past, the typical practice management curriculum in U.S. dental schools was found to place a heavy emphasis on customer service, whereas areas typically stressed in business entrepreneurship and management courses (e.g., long-range planning, competing strategies, and supplier relationship) received less attention. However, future dentists will likely have many points in their careers at which they must decide whether to begin a new business or to associate with a practice, and entrepreneurial and management training can help them make and implement those decisions. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the impact of one dental school's practice management education on students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), a construct examined for the first time in dental education. ESE is an individual's belief that he or she is personally capable of planning for, operating, and managing a successful business. In December 2014, all students in all four classes were asked to complete a survey measuring their ESE. The response rates for each class were D1 94%, D2 91%, D3 87%, and D4 79%. The results showed that the mean scores of the fourth-year class were higher on all five examined dimensions than those of the other three classes. The same was true for the mean for each class with the exception of the competency regarding an individual's perception of his or her abilities to deploy and manage human resources, in which the first-year class had a higher score than the fourth-year class (149.07>146.06). The fourth-year class had statistically significant higher scores than the third-year class, consistent with the implementation of practice management courses in the curriculum.

Practice transition in graduate medical education.

Debt repayment, professional negotiation and practice management skills are vital to a successful medical practice, yet are undervalued and seldom taught in graduate medical education. Medical residents need additional training to confidently transition to independent practice, requiring the development of novel curricula. Medical residents needadditional training to confidently transition to independent practice METHODS: We developed a trial practice management curriculum to educate senior residents and fellows through voluntary workshops. Topics discussed in the workshops included debt repayment, billing compliance, medical malpractice, contract negotiations, and lifestyle and financial management. Resident self-confidence was assessed, and feedback was obtained through voluntary survey responses before and after attendance at a workshop, scored using a Likert scale. Twenty-five residents from 20 specialties attended a 1-day session incorporating all lectures; 53 residents from 17 specialties attended a re-designed quarterly session with one or two topics per session. Survey evaluations completed before and after the workshop demonstrated an improvement in residents' self-assessment of confidence in contract negotiations (p<0.001) and their first year in practice (p<0.001): after the curriculum, 94percent (n=42) of respondents felt confident participating in contract negotiations, and 93percent (n=38) of respondents felt confident about their first year in practice. One hundred percent of respondents agreed that the presentation objectives were relevant to their needs as residents. Participant responses indicated a need for structured education in practice management for senior trainees. Senior residents and fellows will benefit most from curricula, but have high familial and professional demands on their schedules.

The Voice of the Clinical Practice Committee: More Than a Single Story.

On a glorious Fourth of July on the coast of Maine, I began to wonder what the year would bring for the Clinical Practice Committee (CPC) and for oncology practice. Thanks to some great weather, most of the east coast was beginning to heat up, and folks were enjoying those lazy, crazy days of summer. Amid the sails that dotted Saco Bay, the soft breezes through the marsh grasses, and the ocean's loss of its frigid surprise for those who crowed onto the beaches, the work of the CPC has begun in earnest. Having been energized during the ASCO Annual Meeting, where there were many voices of change, debate, challenge, and opportunity, the CPC has set an ambitious work agenda. My first task as the newly installed chair of the CPC was to present our work to the ASCO Committee Chairs, whose efforts, time, talent, passion, and ambition form the focus of commitment for the mission of ASCO. At the Annual Meeting, I heard reports about new technologies; improved and efficient communication; and new tools for education, leadership, partnership, scientific discoveries, treatment breakthroughs, advocacy, marketing, and stewardship. It is clear to me that we who care for patients must not only succeed in practice, but must also integrate practice into the entirety of the ASCO community. During the month after the meeting in Chicago, the CPC leadership and staff prepared proposed topics for educational sessions for the 2011 Annual Meeting. We proposed topics that are of interest to those who practice, regardless of setting. These include “A Forum on Policy, Business, and Reimbursement Trends in 2011”; “Increasing Awareness and Participation in Clinical Trials”; “Assessing the Financial Health of Oncology Practices”; “QOPI Use in Various Practice Settings”; and “The Oncology Pharmacy-Office, Infusions Center, Practice Dispensary, Hospital Clinics.” The CPC leadership seeks best practices, successful processes, experienced pathways, and spirited participants whose presentations will encourage excellence and inspiration. Although the selection process for these sessions is competitive, the effort creates high standards and a valuable agenda for the CPC to work with over the year. As the Carrier Advisory Committee (CAC) transitioned into the Medicare Administrative Contractors Advisory Group, the CPC and ASCO State Societies cohosted another Annual Network Meeting with the American Society of Hematology. Hematology and oncology CAC members from all 15 Medicare Administrative Contractors jurisdictions gathered with contractor medical directors to discuss the beginnings of the implementation of health care reform, review local and national Medicare coverage policies, review the challenges of documentation in the era of the electronic medical record, and understand the role of compendia in validating off-label use of chemotherapy drugs in cancer care. Each of these tasks is taken up by CAC representatives regularly as they represent you and your ASCO State Society; they are intensely involved in these efforts and are truly unsung heroes. They carry the CPC presence into the policy debates, pilots and trials, and coverage decisions that allow better cancer care to be provided to patients. For without coverage policy that determines reimbursement, a practitioner is hard pressed to deliver care. The CPC Steering Subcommittee set the agenda for the fall meeting of the CPC and continues to drive a number of initiatives, including strategically driven government relations advocacy in an era of turbulent partisan politics; a Private Payer Initiative conference, which will bring payers and providers into a dialogue that should create improved collaboration, if not the seeds for partnership; a task force to help ASCO understand the forces and challenges that shape the practice of oncology; and the transformation of the Practice Management Curriculum into an educational effort to provide a standard of excellence for practice administrators and staffs. So what will the CPC work on as the fall brings a new term? We certainly will be doing all that we can to promote and provide the best care possible for patients with cancer. All of ASCO is behind us, and the CPC appreciates all the help you will give.

Integrating Leadership into a Practice Management Curriculum for Dental Students

Curriculum evaluations by recent graduates of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine suggested the need for additional coursework in practice management. Given the complex challenges facing practitioners, the course design was expanded beyond the suggested practice management to include leadership theory and skills. Students were able to distinguish and assess their level of various leadership skills at the end of the course. The course received an overall rating of 4.23 on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), with 84 percent of responding students indicating that their interest-specifically in the areas of clinical efficiency, practice management, reducing medical errors, communication, business, team building, leadership, and access to care-was enhanced. The responding students assessed their current leadership skills overall at 3.84. They assessed themselves best at "Integrity" (4.48) and worst at "Managing Conflict" (3.12). They felt that "Ability to Build Trust with Others" is the most beneficial skill for a dentist, while "Ability to Influence" is the least beneficial. Eighty-eight percent of students responding indicated that it is "Very Likely" they will continue to practice developing their leadership skills. Qualitative feedback was overwhelmingly positive and indicated that students found the course life-altering and highly valued its breadth of topics.

Preparing Psychiatric Residents for the "Real World": A Practice Management Curriculum

The authors describe a course designed for residents to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to collaborate and successfully compete in today's complex health care environment and to achieve competency in systems-based practice. Postgraduation surveys demonstrated a need for improvement in preparing residents for practice management issues. The authors outline a 32-week practice management curriculum for postgraduate-year 3 (PGY 3) psychiatric residents. The course was rated highly by residents in terms of topics covered, faculty involvement, and overall expectations. The project assignments completed by the residents were effective in creating objective change in the resident outpatient practice. Practice management is an essential part of residency training and can be successfully integrated into the residents' clinical practice experience. Future steps include assessment of the graduates at 1 and 5 years postgraduation to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the course.

What's New With ASCO.org ?

ASCO.org underwent a significant site redesign in early 2006. Ronald Blum, MD, 2006-2007 Chair of the Information Technology Committee, answered questions to help identify key functionality and new organization on the Web site. What is unique about ASCO.org? The ASCO Web site is unique in that it provides access to the world's premier source of oncology-related education and research content. The ASCO brand is based on content that encompasses the breadth and depth of oncology, is peer-created for ASCO, and peer-reviewed by ASCO member leadership for excellence. What are the major changes to ASCO.org? Based on requests made by ASCO members, the new Web site content is more thematic, associating specific disease and topic content. The result is 12 disease-specific portal sites, all of which are accessible from the home page. The redesign provides the user with access to all ASCO.org content, but is tailored to give direct, disease-specific access. What are the new disease-specific portals? Each of the disease-oriented home pages is modular with topic pages. The 12 disease-specific portals link information about specific cancer topics, including presentations from the ASCO.org Virtual Meeting, articles from the Journal of Clinical Oncology, abstracts from past Annual Meetings, Educational Book manuscripts, and related articles available through PubMed. One of the clear messages from our users is that they want to find information related to the disease they treat, to support evidence-based clinical decisions. The disease-specific portals provide ready access to the evidence. How is ASCO.org navigation better? In redesigning the Web site, we undertook the yearlong process of Web metrics analyses and usability testing using advanced Web design concepts. The goal is to have the fewest number of “clicks” to get to the desired content. The result is modular Web pages that are thematically organized in three columns: The left-hand column of the homepage has links to specific content: Meetings, Abstract and Research, Practice Resources, Education Training, News, and Legislative and Regulatory. Other topic categories in this left column include: About ASCO, ASCO Bookstore, Careers in Oncology, Downloads and Technology, Grants, Membership, and State Affiliates. There are also direct links to other ASCO Web sites, including Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Oncology Practice, ASCO News & Forum, People Living With Cancer, The ASCO Foundation, and The ASCO Press Center. The middle column highlights upcoming ASCO meetings, and displays a banner with links to the three most commonly accessed features: Virtual Meeting, Membership Directory, and Practice Guidelines. The lower half of the column features the latest news, policy news, and today's cancer news. The right-hand column has direct links to the portal pages for cancer types and news highlights. Has the search capability been enhanced? The new Web site features enhanced search capabilities via several methods: A simple search, which uses Vivisimo—a search engine that produces a hierarchical grouping of related content. The search capability has been further enhanced by the use of a Web site content management system, Vignette, which has enabled content to be labeled in an oncology-specific vocabulary. An advanced, content-specific search, as in the Virtual Meeting pages, can be done by entering specific information such as author, presentation title, or keyword. What resources are available to benefit an oncology practice? There is an entire section of ASCO.org dedicated to the practicing oncologist. It is found in the left column navigation menu under “Practice Resources.” In this section, you will find information about the Practice Management Curriculum, eHealth Records, and reimbursement and coding questions. This section is a must-see for all practicing oncologists. The Practice Guidelines provided by ASCO are another valuable resource available online. New guidelines also come with a toolbox (slide sets, worksheets) to facilitate use of the information in practice. Are there sections of the Web site you recommend to help remain current on the research and science of oncology? Absolutely. Be sure to visit the Virtual Meeting (www.asco.org/vm), a resource dedicated to giving unlimited access to cancer research. This is a must-visit for any oncologist working to keep up-to-date on the latest information to best treat patients. In addition, you can review abstracts presented at ASCO meetings back through 1996 and Educational Book manuscripts through 2002. What is next for ASCO.org? ASCO.org continues to seek innovative ways to provide information to users. For example, a new Podcast Program was launched at the 2006 Annual Meeting. This service provides subscribers with access to the audio recordings of all Annual Meeting presentations for use on their computers or portable MP3 devices, as well as access to the ASCO Audio Journal of Oncology interviews featuring discussions of the latest progress in the field. Podcasting as a listen-on-demand method of disseminating information will be a focus for us moving forward.

A preliminary report of an educational intervention in practice management.

BackgroundPractice management education continues to evolve, and little information exists regarding its curriculum design and effectiveness for resident education. We report the results of an exploratory study of a practice management curriculum for primary care residents.MethodsAfter performing a needs assessment with a group of primary care residents at Wright State University, we designed a monthly seminar series covering twelve practice management topics. The curriculum consisted of interactive lectures and practice-based application, whenever possible. We descriptively evaluated two cognitive components (practice management knowledge and skills) and the residents' evaluation of the curriculum.ResultsThe mean correct on the knowledge test for this group of residents was 74% (n = 12) and 91% (n = 12) before and after the curriculum, respectively. The mean scores for the practice management skill assessments were 2.62 before (n = 12), and 3.65 after (n = 12) the curriculum (modified Likert, 1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The residents rated the curriculum consistently high.ConclusionsThis exploratory study suggests that this curriculum may be useful in developing knowledge and skills in practice management for primary care residents. This study suggests further research into evaluation of this curriculum may be informative for practice-based education.

Practice Management Curriculum for Anesthesiology Residents

Practice Management Curriculum for Anesthesiology Residents

Preparing to practice and manage: A program for educating orthodontic residents in practice management

The purpose of this article is to describe how the integration of practice management principles into orthodontic graduate programs can help young practitioners avoid many of the mistakes commonly made in developing an orthodontic practice and to provide guidelines and resources for starting off in the right direction. This article also describes how practice management education was integrated as one of the 4 principal components of contemporary orthodontic education at a California university. Specific goals, concepts, and components of a comprehensive practice management program are outlined. A structured practice management curriculum can provide opportunities for residents and alumni to learn some of the latest developments and techniques in orthodontic practice management. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2001;120:2-8)

Practice-management curriculum for family practice residents

Practice-management curriculum for family practice residents

How are pediatric training programs preparing residents for practice?

The majority of pediatric residents continue to choose a career in practice on completion of their training. Despite knowing residents' career preferences, many training programs have focused on inpatient tertiary care at the expense of primary care. Perhaps this reflects service needs and the significant technology and extensive information resulting in the growth of pediatric subspecialties. To determine the spectrum of didactic and clinical experiences pediatric training programs offer residents to prepare them for managing a practice, we conducted a survey of pediatric training program directors in 1988. Although the majority of residency programs have a practice management curriculum, the number of hours devoted to this area is minimal. In addition, a significant number of residents are not experiencing a community office rotation. This survey indicates the need to develop a practice management curriculum if trainees are to be prepared for choosing the right career and for being competitive in practice.

Maximizing patient care services to improve funding in a family medicine residency.

The authors discuss ways to increase the funding base of a family medicine residency program through the appropriate use of procedures related to patient care and the provisions of service. Following a commitment of cooperation by residents and faculty members, certain principles of a business practice management curriculum were expanded and applied to a residency program. A written procedure manual describing the intricacies of the fee-for-service system was prepared for interns. Mechanisms for the review of patient care productivity and educationally productive incentives were developed. All of these steps were helpful in achieving improvement in the funding base for the residency. Areas for potential expansion in training programs and financial and staffing strategies to increase revenues are discussed. Although administrative decisions regarding fees and collection mechanisms are mentioned, this discussion focuses on educational and patient care activities that also produce revenue.