MMA Viewpoint
The Case for Collegiality
Collegiality is the “cooperative interaction among colleagues.” That definition sounds appealing, doesn’t it? And there are good reasons. Collegiality is a recipe for patient safety and the highest quality health care. It’s also a powerful force when it comes to our own well-being. Why is that the case? Physicians who have collegial professional relationships can draw on each others’ expertise in order to help patients and find support when they need it.
I believe, however, that the concept has been somewhat neglected in the medical curriculum and in medical practice.
During my years as a medical student and resident, it was common to hear attending physicians denigrate entire specialties. It was not unusual to see instruments thrown in operating rooms. Students were routinely humiliated in front of their peers, nurses, and even patients. Sexual harassment of female students and residents was pervasive. (I did not train in Minnesota, of course.) I’d like to ensure that these things never happen again.
I suspect that most of us, even those of us in small communities, interact with medical students. I think it’s imperative that we all model collegiality to those we teach.
Respect is the foundation of collegiality and the main thing we need to focus on. Students who witness truly respectful interchanges among physicians will be more likely to have respectful relationships with their colleagues once they start practicing.
Patients expect the members of their health care teams to be collegial, and they are right to do so. I believe patient safety is compromised when we do not behave respectfully toward one another. One of the more dangerous ways physicians fail to show respect is by not communicating with peers or doing so poorly. A consultant who does not convey her thoughts to a referring physician is not only doing that physician a disservice, she is doing a disservice to the patient. Likewise, a referring physician who is not clear about the reason for a consultation is not only wasting the time of another professional but is also failing the patient.
The truth is, we all need each other if we are to provide patients with the best possible care. We need the “big picture” expertise of generalists and the depth provided by subspecialists. We need the procedural experts and the cognitive ones.
One valuable aspect of membership in the MMA is that it provides so many opportunities for physicians to come together. During meetings and events, we are bridging the metro-outstate, academic-community, and primary care-subspecialty divisions that undermine collegiality.
I think we physicians can set an example for society at large. Our recent history in this country has been marked by a lack of civility in the political, business, and community spheres. Labeling and demonizing have become endemic in the media and in the community. I’d like to see us take the lead in changing the culture.
Let’s start by improving our own culture. Our students and our patients are counting on us.