6 steps to radiology-specific change management

The winds of change are blowing across the field of radiology at arguably their highest sustained speeds ever. Disruption is everywhere, from technological advances like AI to regulatory mandates like MACRA—and from comprehensive profession-improvement campaigns like Imaging 3.0 to moving targets like whatever shakes out of healthcare reform (or doesn’t). What’s a rad to do?

The wise will take charge of change before change takes them somewhere they don’t want to go.

So suggest three radiology thought leaders, in so many words, in an article titled “Change Management for Radiologists” published online May 3 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Howard Fleishon, MD, and Sumir Patel, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta, along with Lawrence Muroff, MD, of Florida-based Imaging Consultants Inc., offer ways to apply proven principles of sound change management.

Defining this as “the research, science and tools that prepare, equip, and enable individuals to adopt transformation successfully,” and drawing from established change-management templates in the literature, the authors note that change management is “concentrated on how to implement successful transformations: how to get from the status quo to a desired change.”

Among the how-to steps they offer for consideration are these six imperatives:

1. Articulate the reason for change. “Develop a compelling argument delineating why the practice must move away from the status quo,” Fleishon et al. write. “Create a sense of urgency that change must occur now. Appropriate information should be provided to partners and employees so that everyone understands why going into the unknown is the preferred alternative to the existing situation.”
2. Build the team. “Assembling the needed cadre of people who will be tasked with implementing change is essential to success,” the authors point out, adding that variables to consider include the available talent, skill, experience and levels of influence at hand. “If internal resources are not sufficient, consultants or additional hires may be needed.”
3. Create the vision. Ask what the new change will look like and how it will improve upon the current circumstance, the authors advise. “What will be the benefits for both the practice or organization and its individual members? The story needs to be impactful, not only for the shareholders, but for all stakeholders.”
4. Leverage networks. Credibility and relationships built through networking are well-tested as key influencers for change agents, the authors note, and formal structures and informal networks coexist in every organization. “Networks can be leveraged to build critical mass and achieve the ‘tipping point’ number of stakeholders necessary to move change initiatives forward,” they write. “‘Bridging’ networks can extend established relationships.”
5. Hypercommunicate. Keep stakeholders up to date on the change-project progress, the authors counsel. “Celebrate the milestones. Circumvent the spread of rumors and negativity by demonstrating transparency,” they write. “Consider a variety of outlets for messaging. Assign communication responsibilities such that the information flow is constant and consistent.”
6. Strive for sustainability. “Once established, the change continually needs to be emphasized as the ‘new normal.’ Leadership and management should reinforce the position that the change has been incorporated and is the new path forward,” the authors write. “Contingency plans for problems or glitches should be developed to prevent the practice or organization from reverting to its old equilibrium. New metrics and dashboards reflecting the change should be established and highlighted.”

In addition, Fleishon, Muroff and Patel deem considerations of practice culture and change’s effects on individuals so essential to the success of any change-management project that they dedicate a section to each.

The authors conclude by emphasizing that, going forward, radiologists will continue to face significant challenges. They call for proactive change throughout the profession.

“The status quo will no longer be sufficient to ensure stability in your practice or tenure in your hospital; radiologists must be prepared to think and act differently,” they write. “Change is not optional; rather, it is an imperative for survival.”

Change management “is a skill set that will both enable and drive new processes,” they reiterate. “Knowledge of the principles and tools available will facilitate the implementation and sustainability of transitions for our departments and practices.”