Mitigating Noncompliance in Medical Practice: A Multi-Frame Analysis and Application to Improve Patient Outcomes in the Private Primary Care Setting

The healthcare industry within the United States is divided into the private and public sectors. Medical care is provided through an extensive network of subspecialist practitioners. The most common type of medical practice and one most utilized by patients is primary care, with 51.2% of all medical office visits made to primary care practices in 2018 (CDC, 2018). This scope of medicine is most frequently responsible for the initial diagnoses and treatment plans of diseases. This thesis project begins with a description of the roles of primary practice in the broader scope of the medical field, and details why primary care is essential in keeping populations healthy. It moves to discuss a local example of a private primary care practice, AllCare Internal Medicine, and describes the organization’s structure and function. Medical noncompliance, a pressing issue at this facility and in the entirety of the medical field, is introduced and explained using industry research. Medical noncompliance at AllCare Internal Medicine is then considered in the context of Bolman and Deal’s multi-frame organizational theory. Furthermore, a four-frame analysis of AllCare Internal Medicine is conducted to highlight the impact of each of Bolman and Deal’s organizational frames on the group and its success. With insights gained from the analysis, a detailed plan for reducing noncompliant behavior is provided for medical staff that focuses on improving interactions with patients. The thesis project concludes with a brief reflection on Bolman and Deal’s organizational frames in the AllCare Internal Medicine setting, as well as provides an explanation of how the plan of action will be successful in reducing noncompliance within the practice.