Choosing the Right Consultant for Your Anesthesia Project
By Dennis Westover, MBA
As the business and political side of your practice become more complex, it may become more apparent to you that the skills and objectivity of a third party are needed to help resolve some of the barriers to progress in your practice. Though your best starting point for identifying qualified consultants may be your national specialty society, you may find that everyone, it seems, “knows a good consultant”. But how do you select one that is right for both your practice and your particular issue(s)?
The first step is to define the consulting engagement scope. Many groups have a difficult time articulating their exact needs, though they intuitively know the desired outcome. However, it is very important to spend the time upfront on this step as it may be the single most important ingredient in ensuring that the right consultant is chosen, their fee is reasonable and that you and your group’s (or hospital’s) expectations will be met. Sometimes, it pays to start the conversation with the potential consultants by asking for their help in defining the scope. During that conversation, you may learn a lot about whether the consultant has faced a similar set of circumstances before, and whether he/she truly understands how to best approach the problem. If you are able, ask the one consultant who seems the most knowledgeable during the first phone interview to help you articulate a scope statement for the engagement. Then edit, if necessary, that document and circulate it to the others from whom you would like a written proposal. That way, everyone will have the same understanding of what needs to be done so pricing should be “apples-to-apples”.
The second phase involves evaluating the written responses received from the consultants. It is during this stage that you should be alert to the sometimes subtle differences between them. For instance, did the response arrive by the deadline you set, or was it late? Did one of the consultants call on the day before the deadline and ask for an extension because “they have been very busy”? Did the written response address the scope or did it seem “canned”? This could be an indicator of the quality of any written report you’ll ultimately receive at the end of the engagement. Did you have any calls or e-mails during your interaction that weren’t answered promptly? All of these indicators can point to what it will be like working with a
particular consultant. After all, you’re hiring someone whose income level is probably not too dissimilar from your own. Shouldn’t you expect to receive service that is commensurate with a professional organization and fee structure, not the yard service you use at home?
The not-so-subtle elements of the response should be evaluated as well. What is the consultant’s background and experience? Have they just recently launched into a consulting career, or do they have a long history in the business? Do they understand your specialty fully, or have they simply “dabbled” in it on one or two previous occasions? And finally, is consulting a full time career, or just a sideline business for them? This fact may become very important if the timing of your engagement suddenly interferes with their “day job”.
While fees should always be considered in your decision, I have found that far more important are references of groups like yours that will testify to the value they received from the consultant. Selecting a consultant without checking references is the worst mistake I, and others I’ve known, have made. References provided by consultants are always a little suspect as they most likely will not be provided in the first place unless they are from satisfied clients. So, do your homework and dig a little deeper to find current or previous clients not listed as a reference. Ask your colleagues, peruse websites or even ask the references provided if they know of other groups serviced (currently or previously) by the same consultant. In the end, it’s not what you pay that will be as important as what you receive in return.
I have found that the best consultants I’ve worked with over the years were those who understood their own limitations, and were far more valuable because they referred me to someone else more capable, rather than tackling a job for which they were ill-equipped. It may be helpful to keep this in mind during your phone interviews as you sort through consultants who truly want to help from those who just want to make a sale.
Mr. Westover is the practice administrator for a large multi-specialty physician group in Atlanta, Georgia.