Blame it on change, uncertainty or both, the result is the same: A great many physicians are overwhelmed by mandates and initiatives consuming substantive resources and taking time away from patient care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are running as fast as we can,\u00a0trying to see a large volume of patients in order to be reimbursed, yet that reimbursement keeps diminishing,\u201d Tom Doerr, MD, director of innovation research for Lumeris, told\u00a0Medical Practice Insider.\u00a0\u201cI like to [use] the term \u2018hamster wheel healthcare,\u2019 because it accurately depicts what physicians are facing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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With an estimated 25 million previously uninsured patients climbing aboard the fee-for-service model through healthcare reform, \u201cthe demand on physicians to see more patients\u00a0in less time is only going to grow,\u201d Doerr added, which means now, more than ever, physicians need to take a proactive stance against fading out. According to Doerr, that stance entails the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cBurnout is primarily tied to fee-for-service medicine, so avoiding burnout requires value-based reimbursement and re-architecting physician\u00a0practices for value.\u201d One needn\u2019t be skilled in the redrafting of fiscal routes either; software solutions are available for medical practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cA key step toward capacity expansion involves creating and effectively leading a solid care team of care managers, care coordinators, social workers and nurse practitioners whom the primary care physician trusts to deliver the best care possible to patients,” Doerr said. “By taking a team approach, the responsibilities involved in providing quality, coordinated care are shared among a team of highly trained and efficient medical professionals. This results in shared responsibilities and less burned-out physicians.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps the easiest way to expand capacity, avoid physician burnout and prevent a pending physician shortage is to use technology.\u00a0 There is currently little incentive for physicians to use most technologies, however, because they are not reimbursed for their time spent –\u00a0for example, responding to patient queries via e-mail. This is despite numerous studies indicating that telehealth reduces cost and increases patient satisfaction, Doerr said.\u00a0 In 2013, a study conducted at HealthPartners in Minnesota found that online visits for simple conditions delivered savings of $88 per encounter, and 98 percent of the patients receiving treatment said they would recommend the service to a friend.<\/p>\n
Calling the range of technologies available today \u201cthe industry\u2019s greatest burnout antidote,\u201d Doerr continued that IT\u2019s promised will stay largely unrealized until the way care is paid for changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysicians enter the medical field with the best intentions; we want to help and heal people.\u00a0Our career satisfaction is largely dependent on whether we feel we can do that,\u201d Doerr said. \u201cUntil reimbursement is restructured and physicians are paid for the value –\u00a0not volume –\u00a0of care delivered, physician burnout and shortage will remain a real problem and threat to the healthcare industry.\u201d<\/p>\n