The implementation of ICD-10 will be delayed for one year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday. In confirming of this delay, HHS cited results of a recent survey that indicated up to 25% of healthcare providers believe they will not be ready for an Oct. 1, 2013 compliance date and about 50% [...]
Democratic and Republican Congressmen have initiated a bill that would call for increasing the Medicare funded residency training slots by 15,000. This is an admirable step by the government to try to remedy the increasing physician shortage problem in the United States. The passing of Obamacare only magnified an already huge issue. It will be [...]
The American Medical Association Physician Masterfile first tried using conventional methods to estimate hospitalist numbers and characteristics. However, it may provide incomplete coverage as the specialty was not formally listed until recently and the Masterfile only included 250 hospitalists by specialty at the end of 2010. The American Hospitalist Association (AHA) estimated there was 30,000 hospitalists in the United States and due to [...]
A study conducted from 1999 through 2007, revealed that approximately 59 percent of visits for primary care were to family physicians, while 41 percent were to specialists (such as internists, obstetricians-gynecologists). According to the study’s lead author, healthcare systems where primary care doctors are the first point of contact, patients experience better outcomes. While this raises [...]
Surveys completed earlier this year showed 1 of every 3 physicians suffer from symptoms of burnout. These studies also showed that surgical specialties would be at primary risk. However, a recent study by Mayo Clinic found that nearly 1 in 2 physicians have reported having at least one symptom of a burnout and physicians in the front line of [...]
The preliminary results of an annual survey by Ericksson titled “Top Motivators for Physician Relocation” show relocation decisions are driven by financial considerations. Like other professions, physicians are dealing with a challenged economy, and are looking to maximize their earning potential. Subcategory responses underneath financial considerations include student loan repayment and a desire for higher immediate compensation. Other [...]
According to a new study by Mayo Clinic, Emergency Medicine physicians are most likely to experience a burnout, with 65% of respondents reporting at least one symptom. However, General Internists and Family Practice physicians are not far behind as more than half of each suffered some form of burnout. The problem could worsen as 30 [...]
The growing shortage of intensivists remains an ongoing concern for hospitals, clinicians, payers and the government. The demand is expected to worsen as inpatient volume and acuity grow in tandem with an aging and increasingly comorbid population. While there is an agreement between the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) [...]
The Physician Shortage Reduction and Graduate Medical Education Accountability and Transparency Act (HR 6352) would expand the number of Medicare-sponsored training slots for new doctors by 15,000. Worries of a physician shortage intensified with passage of the Affordable Care Act, which will increase the number of people seeking medical care by providing insurance to 32 [...]
The Professional Life Cycle of the Primary Care Physician: Age 25-35 Balancing between the new job, family and home life, and finances Setting goals and working on the growth of one’s family and career Establishing professional connections and relationships Developing relationships with staff and patients Shedding insecurities Balancing intellectual drive with practice demands and cost [...]
