Bischof, Ralph O.

Plumb, James D.

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Health Administration and Health Policy in Residency Education Programs

Jefferson Digital Commons

Health Policy Newsletter____________________________________________________________ Volume 7, Number 3    September, 1994               Article 3 ____________________________________________________________  Health Administration and Health Policy in Residency Education Programs  Ralph O. Bischof, MD* James D. Plumb. MD**Thomas Jefferson University, James.Plumb@jefferson.eduCopyright ©1994 by the authors.  The Health Policy Newsletter is a publication of Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Medical College and the Department of Health Policy, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 621, Philadelphia, PA 19107. (215) 955-6969.Suggested Citation:Bischof RO, Plumb JD. Health administration and health policy in residency education programs. Health Policy Newsletter 1994; 7(3): Article 3.  Retrieved [date] from http://jdc.jefferson.edu/hpn/vol7/iss3/5Ralph O. Bischof and James D. Plumb:  Health Administration and Health Policy in Residency Education ProgramsHealth Policy Newsletter  Vol. 7, Number 3 (September 1994), Article 3Health Administration and Health Policy  in Residency Education Programs The impact of economic, administrative, social and political forces on the practice of medicine has been steadily increasing. However, there has been little exposure to health care administration principles and health care policy issues in residency education programs.  A literature search of the Medline data base identified minimal attention to this type of education. The programs which are described in the literature mainly focus on topics related to practice management, but even these are inadequate.  Residents need to be prepared for the realities of medical practice and the forces which are continuously remodeling it. Medical school may be too early in the training of future doctors for an adequate appreciation of these topics. Residency may be the best time for such education, for this is when doctors-in-training take on more patient care responsibilities and begin to discover the issues and intricacies of patient care.  A 1983 survey of Family Practice programs, found that although nearly all residency directors agreed on the appropriateness of practice management training, it was underemphasized and may need a more structured approach. Kellerman's conclusion is reflective of most other articles, reporting the overall recognition of the importance of the topic, but pointing out the gross shortcomings of current training.  An elective or rotation devoted exclusively to health care administration and policy may be the best way to meet the need for this type of training. Cordes et al describe the incorporation of management and administration training into preventive and occupational medicine residency programs using a variety of techniques which include a required one-month rotation devoted exclusively to administration. Ginn and Thompson describe a one-month hospital administration rotation for emergency medicine residents at an Army hospital. The adoption of comparable rotations by residency training programs would help to prepare new physicians for the economic, social and political realities of health care.  References  1. Kellerman R: Practice management training in family practice residencies. J Fam Pract 16(1):173-175, 1983.  2. Cordes DH, Rea DF, Vuturo A, Rea J: Management roles for physicians: training residents for the reality. J Occup Med 30(11):863-867, 1988.  3. Cordes DH, Rea DF, Rea J, Vuturo A: A program of management training for residents. Acad Med 64(1):45-46, 1989.  Ralph O. Bischof and James D. Plumb:  Health Administration and Health Policy in Residency Education ProgramsHealth Policy Newsletter  Vol. 7, Number 3 (September 1994), Article 34. Ginn RVN, Thompson NJ: A hospital administration rotation for physicians in residency training. Milit Med 148:717-720, 1988.   About the Authors: Ralph O. Bischof, MD, is a Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University.  James D. Plumb, MD, is the Medical Director of the Patient Office, Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University.   

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Health Administration and Health Policy in Residency Education Programs

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