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Medical Economics surveyed more than 1,000 physicians and asked them what issues they feel are ruining the practice of medicine.
Medical Economics surveyed more than 1,000 physicians and asked them what issues they feel are ruining the practice of medicine.
Here are the top 9 issues physicians identified:
9. MOC costs and requirements
Physicians have a lot of complaints about maintenance of certification (MOC), with its notable commitment of physician time, effort, and financial expense ranking near the top.
In that context, primary care physicians’ perception that much of the information on which they are evaluated is irrelevant to their daily practice amplifies their frustrations.
8. Imbalance in primary care versus specialist reimbursement
Primary care pay has increased by more than 10 percent over the past five years, nearly double the rate of specialist compensation during the same time period, according to data from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).
But even with these gains, primary care physicians earned a median salary of $257,726 in 2017-while specialists hauled in a median of $425,136.
7. Rising staff and overhead costs
Every business grapples with rising employee and overhead costs, but these increases are particularly distressing for physician practices. Since 2013, the median operating costs for primary care practices rose by 13 percent, according to a 2018 MGMA report.
6. No negotiating leverage with payers
Negotiating contracts with payers has always been an unpleasant task for doctors. But it has become even more difficult in recent years, thanks to trends such as value-based care and consolidation among commercial payers.
“The big payers don’t want to negotiate with small practices. They say ‘take it or leave it,’” Rebecca Jaffe, MD, owner of a Wilmington, Del. internal medicine practice, told Medical Economics.
5. Replacing primary care physicians with NPs/PAs
The number of new nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) continues to outpace the number of new physicians nationwide, causing some concern from primary care doctors.
4. Prior authorizations
Physicians find the prior auth process insulting, as they argue they know what’s best for each patient under their care, and have the medical training and expertise to back up their clinical decisions.
3. Government regulations
When it comes to value-based care, government regulations often get in the way of physicians’ best efforts and that’s a challenge that irks many in healthcare.
Physicians told Medical Economics that complying with government regulations was one of the top reasons their practice finances worsened in the last year. Many physicians also cited penalties from pay-for-performance initiatives as a reason.
2. Difficulty using EHRs
Physicians largely dislike their EHR systems and feel like they are stuck with the ones they have, even when they are lacking.
The Medical Economics EHR Report, published last October, found that 70 percent of physicians would like to switch systems but don’t because of high costs and lack of better options. In addition, about 57 percent would not recommend their current system to a fellow physician.
1. Paperwork and administrative burdens
It’s no surprise that physicians chose paperwork and administrative burdens as the top issue ruining medicine. Earlier this year, in the 2018 Medical Economics Physician Report, nearly 80 percent of doctors said it was the top challenge they experience in practice.
Much of this burden is a result of changes in the last several years, notably the advent of value-based care.