All Posts Tagged: Physician

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Top Challenges Physicians Are Facing Today

Top Challenges Physicians Are Facing

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In 2017, physicians are facing certain challenges this year more so than others. From MACRA to prior authorization requirements, physicians now have more to deal with on their plate in addition to staying at the height of their industry career-wise. Here are some of those biggest challenges.

MACRA

A transformative healthcare event, unrivaled in probably about a decade, took effect January 1 but many physicians are unsure what the compliance requirements are. To review, MACRA stands for Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. It was passed in 2015 as a sweeping way to fundamentally change the way our country evaluates and pays for healthcare. Essentially, it establishes a whole new method to pay physicians for caring for Medicare beneficiaries, including funding for technical assistance to providers, new development and testing measurements, new requirements for data sharing, and new federal advisory groups, according to the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement. With the goal of restructuring U.S. healthcare, MACRA is based on two new reimbursement structures: the Merit Based Incentive Payments Systems (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs).

Many physicians haven’t gotten on board yet. With a migration from volume to value, it’s necessary for physicians to get educated about the process now before they get buried by it.

Prior Authorizations

These requirements have increased quickly recently, with no signs of stopping. Prior authorizations can be the bane of many a physician’s existence, but the good news is there are many products and services available that can speed up the whole process. In addition, value-based payment models can cut down on how many drugs and procedures require approval before coverage kicks in from payers. Prior authorizations are necessary due to the higher costs and complications of medication. Technology like e-prescribing software can help through integration with electronic health record systems.

Negotiations

Negotiating with payers is necessary as more and more payers consolidate. As a result, physicians must face narrow provider networks and declining reimbursements. It can be frustrating to agree to one-sided contracts in order to keep up with their patient head count, but the prospect isn’t all grim. Physicians are advised to concentrate on the value and success they provide to their patients, outlining why the payer needs them to be on board. Come up with a pitch whereby you outline all the value your practice provides and how you’ve maintained quality consistently. It’s also not a bad idea to come up with a spreadsheet, updated weekly, that you can use to keep track of payer contracts, termination clauses, rate of payment speed and common codes for reimbursement rates. Now you have something concrete to reference when you feel the squeeze from payers.

Patient Frustration

Patients are understandably upset about rising healthcare costs. As a physician, you are often on the front line of these complaints, even though your hands are tied. You don’t set the prices yet you hear first-hand how frustrated your patients are with the system. With deductibles rising 40 percent last year alone and co-pays rising nearly 70 percent, patients are opting not to come into the office unless they have no other choice. They’re choosing not to fill prescriptions or they’re skipping important procedures due to the potential price tag involved. Educate your patients on cost and do some research on where they can get the same services or medications at a lower cost. Cross-analyze labs, pharmacies and even hospitals for the lowest prices on common services.

Maintaining Motivation

With all these compliance rules and regulations, it can be disheartening to keep up the good fight. You got into this career because of the joy you received from helping people. Dissatisfaction with strict compliance rules, as well as increased workloads and less time interacting with patients, can put a big damper on your job satisfaction. There are things you can do, though, to combat burnout, such as making changes in your work environment and engaging in stress reduction techniques in order to restore the work-life balance. One of the contributing factors to physician burnout has to do with dealing with the minutiae of administrative work. One solution is to outsource your medical billing services to a company like Medical Healthcare Solutions contact. We provide comprehensive medical billing, electronic health records and practice management services for physicians just like you. Call us today at 800-762-9800.

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What is Physician Burnout

What is Physician Burnout?

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“Physician Burnout syndrome” is a real condition in which fatigue, cynicism, and professional inefficacy associated with work-related stress becomes overwhelming and debilitating, according to the Association for Psychological Science. While some level of stress is expected, particularly in the medical field, at some point these stressors can become overbearing, leading some physicians to contemplate leaving the profession or worse.

Manifestations

Physicians are the ones on the front lines of patient care. While other types of professional burnout can be devastating, this is particularly true of doctors because they tend to suffer it more severely. According to Definitive Healthcare, physician burnout manifests itself in many ways, such as:

  • Lack of enthusiasm for work
  • Growing cynicism about patients or career
  • Low sense of self-worth

As a result, these feelings can lead to poor job performance, abandonment of the profession, and in rare cases even suicide. Healthcare researchers are trying to pinpoint the root causes and manage this physician burnout at the organizational level. Some types of physicians experience more burnout than others. Those in critical care experience the highest, followed by emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine and general surgery.

The Patient Side

Burnout doesn’t just affect the doctor, but the patient as well. That’s because this condition can negatively impact a doctor’s mental state and career, leading to a decrease in patient care quality. Not only are higher rates of medical errors reported in those with burnout, patient access, and overall experience are negatively impacted. Physicians suffering from burnout say that they are quick to cut down on office hours and even respond in a negative or clipped manner when interacting with patients.

Causes of Physician Burnout

The causes of physician burnout are highly individualized, and many doctors feel multiple sources of burnout. Medscape says the following are the top causes for physician burnout, in order of importance:

  • Too many bureaucratic tasks
  • Too many hours at work
  • Not enough income
  • Increasing computerization of practice
  • Impact of Affordable Care Act
  • Difficult patients
  • Too many appointments daily
  • Lack of professional fulfillment
  • Difficult colleagues or staff
  • Inability to keep up with current research

Also included in the Medscape report is that women (51%) experience burnout more often than men (43%) and those between age 46 and 55 are most likely to experience burnout. Physicians that are burned out report not exercising as much as they should, with low motivational levels. Sometimes, volunteering, doing mission work, or working with church groups adds to the stress of their lives rather than relieves it. A third of burned out physicians say they have minimal savings compounded by unmanageable debt.

In many cases, physicians reported feeling overwhelmed with administrative tasks that detract from their ability to spend time with their patients. Research shows the average physician spends two hours on administrative tasks for every hour that they interact with patients.

One way to mitigate this is to make office tasks more streamlined. Instead of handling billing issues, which can suck up a large portion of a doctor’s day, outsourcing this to a medical billing provider would be a better use of time. By decreasing time spent on mundane tasks, the physician is freed up to spend more quality time with each patient. This can take away a bit of the stress that so often overwhelms physicians on a daily basis.

Contact Medical Healthcare Solutions

We can help. From mobile medical billing solutions to revenue cycle management, Medical Healthcare Solutions can help physicians reduce their chances of burnout by handling the time-consuming tasks of running a practice. Contact us at 800-762-9800 or fill out our convenient online form.

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