It takes a ‘champion’ to set up a DIGMA
It takes a champion’ to set up a DIGMA
Coordinator takes care of all the details
Before you start a drop-in group medical appointment (DIGMA) program, your practice needs to designate a person who is responsible for designing, setting up, and taking care of the details involved in implementing the program.
Edward B. Noffsinger, PhD, a Santa Cruz, CA, psychologist who developed the model while he was with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Jose, CA, calls this person the "DIGMA champion" for that group practice.
"This person knows the DIGMA model, can handle group dynamics, understands the psychosocial needs of medical patients, and should be someone the physicians will respect and trust enough to be willing to deliver medical care in a dramatically different manner," he says.
He cautions that physician practices should select their "champions" carefully because of the high level of skill the job entails.
When he was with Kaiser Permanente, Noffsinger was the "DIGMA champion" for the hospital’s groups. As a consultant who set up DIGMA pilot groups for practices, he acts as a temporary "champion" until he can train someone to take his place.
A "DIGMA champion" does all the legwork involved in setting up the model, educates the staff about how it works, and prepares flyers, posters, and brochures to let patients know about the drop-in appointments.
Here’s what else you’ll need:
• a place to hold the group appointments (Noffsinger recommends using a conference room that can hold 15 to 22 people comfortably);
• a well-equipped examination room, preferably close to the meeting room;
• a medical assistant to check patients in, take their vital signs, and assemble the referrals and other paperwork;
• a behavioral health professional to assist the physician in leading the group;
• a scheduler with adequate time each week to telephone patients and send a follow-up letter with details about the program.
Here are some other tips for setting up a DIGMA for your practice:
• Make sure the highest level of administration is behind the program.
• Give the person who acts as champion adequate time to take care of all the details involved in setting up the groups.
• Make certain you have adequate space available in the room for the patients and their support people, who may be family members or caregivers.
• Set aside a small budget to pay for wall posters in the waiting room and examination rooms, along with flyers to tell patients about the DIGMA.
• Provide time for a scheduler to telephone patients and invite them to attend.
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