On paper these things seem obvious and elementary. In practice, however, developers so often seem to forget. It takes a lot of understanding and persistence to come up with concrete proposals and organizational structures that both sides feel reasonably safe in joining. Collaboration of the right specialties facilitates selection of what is best for the patient and most cost effective. Yet, it is usually the stumbling block to true, patient-focused integration of services.
Physicians collaborate with each other all the time.
Two of the most obvious instances are as primary care physician and surgeon caring for a patient and as members of the organized medical staff. Each of these forums has established patterns and protocols that can be followed so that a busy practitioner does not have to spend time figuring out whether and how to proceed. Here the developer needs to review the need for and supply of the relevant specialists on staff and in the market. This analysis should include the size, location, and age balance of each practice and a thorough analysis of how many physicians the hospital needs for its purposes. These analyses alone can offer clues as to how one might approach intra-discipline competition.