The world of technology introduced the concept of collaborative work networks in the business context; according to Peter Gloor’s definition, “they are understood as teams of self-motivated people, with a collective vision, enabled on the web to collaborate in the achievement of a common goal through the exchange of ideas, information and work”[1]
This concept, embraced by different sectors, including the health sector, has aroused great interest in doctors and specialists, who, displaying a patient-centered care model, find in these networks the best tool to seek the well-being and comprehensive management of the patient.
It is undeniable that we are increasingly finding highly specialized doctors in certain areas, who, even if they wanted to, could not give comprehensive management of the patient and who are forced to seek advice or even refer to other colleagues, therapeutic management that is not within their competence.
Thus, it is highly strategic and coherent to develop collaborative care exercises, identifying the chain of services that a patient follows in the search for a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Building the Network
The first step in this exercise is to identify, within the clinical expertise that corresponds to us, which are the areas that are interconnected to diagnose and treat the patient. In other words, if your clinical focus is fertility, it is very likely that your patient will go through general practitioners, gynecologists, urologists, endocrinologists and internists looking for help.
The critical point is that in the midst of this specialization that we have mentioned, the patient can go unnoticed, not due to lack of interest from their doctor, but due to ignorance of the pathology or lack of adequate support platforms for their management and frequently due to lack of time. We all know that a disease diagnosed in a timely manner will certainly have a better medical outcome.
But how to reach these doctors? How to become visible and relevant to them?
Below, we present 9 strategies that we believe can help you in the creation and consolidation of your own Network of Allies:
In conclusion, the creation of Collaboration Networks or Networks of Allies, more than an end, should be a continuous purpose of our organizations, visualized from all scenarios, involving the largest number of possible actors, with a single collective vision of improving the experience of our patients.
ANA MARÍA MEDINA B.
Commercial Director
InSer
[1] https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-revista-calidad-asistencial-256-articulo-las-redes-innovacion-colaborativa
