The trend is hardly new, but it's intensifying: Physicians are increasingly seeking advanced business training to cope with the blizzard of data and complex management duties they now face.
Not only are physicians dealing with critical problems within an overburdened health system--such as how to cope with increasingly overloaded emergency departments--they're also being asked to respond to new flows of clinical and performance data, improve safety performance and lower costs. It's a tall order for anyone, particularly those who aren't trained in reviewing income statements or wrangling spreadsheets.
In response, a growing number of universities are instituting short, intense management programs designed to give physicians, nurse practitioners and private practice managers a stronger set of tools to meet their growing responsibilities. Those who participate typically find immediate ways to use their training to tweak operations, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Options include Harvard Business School's Managing Health Care Delivery, a $22,000 non-degree program consisting of three one-week courses over nine months, and a year-long program at Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management.
Health IT management is getting some attention too, as it's increasingly part of non-IT duties. For example, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business is planning to offer a master's in clinical informatics next year, at a cost of around $43,000.
Find out more about such programs:
- read this article in The Wall Street Journal
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