Improving productivity in academic group practice

The purposes of this article are to identify all the variables that impact productivity in a group practice, contrast the administrator's and physician's definitions of productivity, discuss current measurement tools and outline the steps in a traditional productivity project. The article identifies key variables that management must address: physician education, goals, feedback and rewards that are critical to the success of any productivity undertaking. Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to understand the differences in the way administrators and physicians view productivity and be able to identify the vital areas that must be addressed in any effort to increase productivity. While the article focuses on the academic setting, the principles are applicable in any group practice.