Has Quality Patient Time Gone the Way of the Typewriter?
A whopping 84% of physician respondents believe that quality patient time is a thing of the past, according to a study by Geneia, a firm that specializes in the development of clinical, analytical, and technical healthcare solutions.[6]
The 400 doctors who were surveyed had their responses scored according to Geneia's Physician Misery Index (PMI). The nationwide PMI is now 3.7 out of 5, the survey revealed, meaning that for physicians, "the scales are tipping from satisfaction to misery." An overwhelming 87% say that the "business and regulation of healthcare" has changed the practice of medicine for the worse. "We found that most physicians still love medicine, but increasingly are frustrated by the business of medicine. For most physicians, the ability to create meaningful relationships with their patients and truly affect health outcomes is why they entered the practice of medicine in the first place, and is critical to experiencing joy in their work," said Heather Lavoie, Geneia's chief operating officer.
Other key findings from the survey include:
67% of all surveyed (both younger and those with more experience) know a physician who is likely to stop practicing medicine in the next 5 years, as the result of physician burnout;
51% say they have considered career options outside of clinical practice—a percentage that is even higher (62%) among those who have been practicing medicine for less than 10 years; and
78% of doctors say they frequently feel rushed when seeing patients.
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Cite this: Marcy Tolkoff. Patients Blame Docs for Bad News; Retirement Worries; More - Medscape - May 20, 2015.
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