Don’t sweat it: Two physicians detail their MCC 360 experience

MCC 360 is now in its fifth year and more than 4,000 physicians have participated in the program to date. Many health care professionals are invited to participate in the MCC 360 program by their hospitals, regional health authorities, and medical regulatory authorities to support a regular cycle of continuing professional development activities and cyclical quality improvement. As more organizations across the country are adopting MCC 360 as a tool in their quality improvement initiatives, more physicians will be invited to complete the program.

Getting started

What can the next 4,000 physicians expect from their MCC 360 experience? Dr. Najma Kazmi, a family physician practicing in Regina, Saskatchewan, completed her MCC 360 in spring of 2022. She received the email from PEPSask enrolling her in the program and admitted she had doubts and was worried. “I’ll be really honest. I was worried when I read the email because MCC 360 looked like it was a big process. I was thinking about how I would have to contact all my colleagues, co-workers and patients. I was just really hesitant whether they would do it or not, or whether they would do it in a timely manner.”

“Everybody was willing to do it for me and they did it very quickly.”

— Dr. Najma Kazmi

Dr. Jamie Harris, a family physician in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, also completed his MCC 360 in spring of 2022. His first reaction was similar to Dr. Kazmi’s, saying “it’s another thing on top of everything else, on top of your regular work.” Fortunately, both Dr. Kazmi and Dr. Harris found the program’s self-assessment and feedback collection easy to do and quick to complete. And, it turns out, their colleagues, co-workers and patients were more than happy to provide feedback by filling out survey on their behalf. “It was so easy. It was a really happy surprise for me that my self-assessment did not take a long time,” explains Dr. Kazmi. “Even for my co-workers, my colleagues and my patients. They did not have any difficulty. Everybody was willing to do it for me and they did it very quickly.”

Results

MCC 360 is about becoming the best physician one can be. It’s not a judgement. The results yield constructive feedback specific to each individual’s practice from those closest to their everyday work.

The experiences of Dr. Kazmi and Dr. Harris mirror those of most physicians who complete MCC 360. They were reassured by the feedback received, and identified specific changes that allow them to be proactive about improving their practice.

“What was most important to me was feedback from patients and
colleagues in particular.”

— Dr. Jamie Harris

Dr. Kazmi found her results “very much encouraging and positive feedback for me that what I’m doing is appreciated by my patients.” She agreed that the feedback from her patients was the most valuable piece of MCC 360. “Hearing from my patients was really helpful for me. That’s the way I can build and improve my practice.”

“What was most important to me was feedback from patients and colleagues in particular.” Dr. Harris describes the comments he received: “some of them were really affirming and some of them were good and some of them made me reflect on some things. I think the most valuable section to me was the open-ended comments from the patients.”

Making positive changes

As for changes that could improve their practice, they’re well-articulated and straightforward. Dr. Harris says he “focused more on my notes for the benefit of the colleagues that were potentially going to be looking at them. I did consciously try and make that change.”

Dr. Kazmi’s patients pointed out that the waiting time was sometimes too long. She says, “I took that really seriously. It should not be like that. With help from the MCC 360 coach, we identified some methods to improve this. I’m working on it.”

When asked what they might tell a physician about to undertake an MCC 360, Dr. Kazmi responded “It’s a good thing to do. We do our best in our practice, but we don’t know how our patients are thinking about us. This is how you find out.” Dr. Harris put it simply: “once you get started, it’s pretty easy to do and worthwhile. Don’t sweat over it.”

Learn more about the MCC 360 program

MCC 360 is a national multi-source feedback program designed for physicians practising in Canada to help develop their CanMEDS roles of communicator, professional, and collaborator. The program focuses on the physician, helping them better understand their practice, including their strengths and areas for improvement by collecting feedback from colleagues, coworkers, and patients, as well as from individualized one-on-one coaching. By completing the program, physicians can earn 12 or more continuing professional development (CPD) credits with the College of Family Physicians of Canada or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The program is delivered by leaders in physician assessment and the MCC and is supported by a dedicated team of customer service agents.

 _____________

For more information, visit MCC 360.