Introduction
The Mayo Clinic has upheld its mission of advancing medical science and compassionately caring for patients for over 150 years. As technologies rapidly evolve, this storied institution must make strategic changes to integrate virtual care delivery while maintaining its commitment to equitable, relationship-based practice. Effective change management is essential for smoothly transitioning workflows, mindsets, and organizational culture. This paper will detail specific communication strategies and concrete participation metrics to facilitate Mayo Clinic’s adoption of expanded telehealth services. The thesis is that by proactively addressing resistance through transparent town halls, concise visual messaging, tailored training, comprehensive surveys, insightful focus groups, and robust learning analytics, Mayo Clinic can thoughtfully guide stakeholders through the complex human aspects of permanently expanding virtual care options. Embracing change management best practices will enable virtual and in-person care to synergize under the patient-centered Mayo Clinic mission for generations.
Communication Strategy
Town Hall Meetings
The first communication strategy will be quarterly town hall meetings led by the chief medical officer and open to all staff across every department and level (Mheidly & Fares, 2020). These meetings, lasting 60-90 minutes, will provide in-depth updates on the progress of virtual care pilots, strategically highlight successes, openly discuss challenges encountered, and actively solicit input through moderated Q&A sessions (Lewis, 2019; Mheidly & Fares, 2020). The meetings will also feature firsthand testimonials from clinicians positively impacted by the changes to make the benefits relatable (Bleich, 2021). Interactive live polls submitted anonymously from the audience’s phones will gauge sentiment on implementation timelines, perceived value of pilots, and desired resources (Lewis, 2019; Mheidly & Fares, 2020). Dedicated email inboxes will collect additional feedback for two weeks post-meeting to accommodate different communication preferences. Recordings and meeting notes will be made available on the intranet to maximize transparency (Lewis, 2019; Mheidly & Fares, 2020).
Visual Displays and Electronic Newsletters
The second communication strategy involves visual displays and electronic newsletters to provide concise updates (Lauer, 2020). Large video bulletins in heavily trafficked areas like cafeterias will showcase brief clips on implementation progress and staff testimonials from virtual care users (Lauer, 2020; Lewis, 2019). Posters by elevators will depict key statistics and powerful infographics demonstrating pilot outcomes thus far (Lauer, 2020). An electronic newsletter will deliver customized content to all staff inboxes biweekly, featuring sections like “Pilot Spotlight” highlighting specialty clinic successes and “Adoption Tip of the Month” with quick technology guidance (Lauer, 2020; Lewis, 2019). The newsletters will also link to the latest social media posts showcasing virtual care advancements and recognize individual staff publicly for their contributions as change champions (Lauer, 2020; Lewis, 2019). Brief electronic messaging enables wider passive engagement across various platforms (Lauer, 2020).
Department Huddles and Training Sessions
The third strategy focuses on department huddles and training sessions for targeted in-person engagement with the changes (Loesche, 2020). Nurse managers and physician leads from piloting departments will be equipped to facilitate 10-15 minute huddles at the start of each shift, updating their team on implementation needs and successes specific to their clinics (Lewis, 2019; Loesche, 2020). Talking points, conversation guides, and Q&A sheets will provide consistency (Loesche, 2020). Optional hands-on training sessions specific to new telehealth equipment, documentation protocols, and video visit workflows will allow specialized staff to develop competencies through active participation (Lewis, 2019; Loesche, 2020). Sessions will be kept under 30 participants to encourage discussions and feature knowledge checks to confirm understanding (Lewis, 2019; Loesche, 2020).
Measuring Participation
Surveys
Detailed electronic surveys will be administered anonymously to 500 randomly selected staff at baseline and every four months post-implementation to quantify participation and perceptions (Weller et al., 2020). The surveys will utilize a Likert scale, multiple choice, and open-ended questions to gauge awareness of change initiatives, attendance and engagement at town halls/training, willingness to support pilots, and overall sentiment regarding the transition (Weller et al., 2020). Aggregate survey results will be transparently shared at town halls and reviewed by leadership monthly to identify needs for improved communication based on gaps in participation and negative feedback trends. Targeted outreach will occur, with departments scoring lowest on participation until over 80% of staff demonstrate active involvement and support (Weller et al., 2020).
Focus Groups
Monthly focus groups will be conducted with 10 participants per session to qualitatively evaluate engagement in the change process (Sim & Waterfield, 2019). Each focus group will represent one department and last 45-60 minutes, exploring participation barriers, communication effectiveness, and suggestions through guided discussions (Sim & Waterfield, 2019). Detailed notes will be reviewed for common themes around enhancing participation at town halls and trainings, optimizing messaging resonance, and addressing program-specific needs (Sim & Waterfield, 2019). A designated change management committee will oversee developing action plans based on focus group feedback and clearly communicating how concerns are alleviated (Sim & Waterfield, 2019).
Learning Analytics
Learning management systems will provide analytical data on training participation as a concrete measure (Stone & Zheng, 2014). Completion rates for required e-learning modules, attendance logs from instructor-led workshops, scores on knowledge assessments, and help desk inquiries will quantify staff competency development (Stone & Zheng, 2014). Participation benchmarks will be set for each clinical department and reported to administrators monthly to maintain accountability (Stone & Zheng, 2014). Low participation triggers customized outreach and additional support resources to foster engagement. Highly active users who complete all training will be recognized publicly as change champions (Stone & Zheng, 2014). Analytics dashboards tracking activity over time will reveal what modalities and topics resonate to guide ongoing content development and participation incentives (Stone & Zheng, 2014).
Conclusion
The Mayo Clinic stands at a pivotal juncture as telehealth permanently moves from an emergency measure to an integral component of high-quality clinical care. Implementing virtual care pathways sustainably while upholding Mayo’s culture of excellence and compassion obliges a careful, collaborative process that proactively addresses the human dynamics inherent to change. Mayo can transcend resistance by actively listening to concerns, clearly explaining the rationale, providing customized resources and supports, and consistently reinforcing progress and participation. Harnessing town halls, visual updates, specialized training, multidimensional feedback channels, and transparent analytics will illuminate a path forward guided by shared mission and values, not dictated by technology alone. Patient priorities must remain central when structuring communication and engagement strategies. With hope and unity, Mayo Clinic’s next chapter can harmonize virtual conveniences and meaningful human connections through change undertaken in fellowship rather than fear. This historic institution’s greatest constant is its heartfelt commitment to humanizing healthcare, whatever shape the future takes.
References
Lauer, T. (2020). Change Management: Fundamentals and Success Factors. In Google Books. Springer Nature.
Lewis, L. (2019). Organizational Change: Creating Change Through Strategic Communication. In Google Books. John Wiley & Sons.
Loesche, A. H. (2020). Using huddles to improve communication and teamwork in an instrument-processing department. Journals.rcni.com. https://journals.rcni.com/nursing-management/evidence-and-practice/using-huddles-to-improve-communication-and-teamwork-in-an-instrumentprocessing-department-nm.2020.e1958/pdf
Mheidly, N., & Fares, J. (2020). Leveraging media and health communication strategies to overcome the COVID-19 infodemic. Journal of Public Health Policy, 41(4), 410–420. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-020-00247-w
Sim, J., & Waterfield, J. (2019, July 16). Focus group methodology: some ethical challenges. Quality & Quantity; Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-019-00914-5
Stone, D. E., & Zheng, G. (2014). Learning Management Systems in a Changing Environment. Handbook of Research on Education and Technology in a Changing Society, pp. 756–767. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-6046-5.ch056
Weller, J., Long, J. A., Beaver, P., Cumin, D., Frampton, C., Garden, A., Moore, M. R., Webster, C., & Merry, A. (2020, February 1). Evaluation of the effect of multidisciplinary simulation-based team training on patients, staff and organizations: protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster-mixed methods study of a national, insurer-funded initiative for surgical teams in New Zealand public hospitals. BMJ Open; BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032997
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