The top 10 challenges facing physicians in 2020
Here are the major challenges physicians will contend with in 2020, and some possible solutions.
Physicians must navigate a host of obstacles every day, ranging from payment hassles to burnout, and each December, Medical Economics compiles its list of the top challenges facing physicians in the year ahead.Here are the top 10 challenges physicians will contend with in 2020, and some possible solutions.
10. Hiring quality clinical staff
Finding talented clinical staff can be difficult for smaller practices who may not be able to match the pay and benefits of larger organizations. But lack of proper staffing could limit practice growth and make implementing team-based care difficult.
Read more here:
9. Negotiating better payer contracts
Good contracts can be the difference between a practice’s survival and its demise.
Read more here:
8. Cybersecurity
Your practice is a target for hackers whether you want to believe it or not. The threat will continue to grow in 2020 as hackers covet the rich personal data contained in medical records.
Read more here:
7. Reaching patients with chronic conditions
Treatment of chronic conditions often falls to busy primary care physicians who don’t have enough time to provide these patients with the counseling they need, and patients aren’t always interested in changing their lifestyle.
Read more here:
6. Avoiding a lawsuit
The threat of a medical malpractice lawsuit is a common concern among physicians, and half of all physicians will face a suit at some point in their career.
Read more here:
5. Caring for yourself
Burnout has become a major risk for physicians. Doctors tend to focus on patient health, often at the expense of their own.
Read more here:
4. EHR usability and interoperability
Clunky EHR interfaces and lack of communication between systems create serious challenges for physicians, including harm to patient care and contributing to burnout.
Read more here:
3. Increased competition
Patients are now demanding the same conveniences from doctors that they find at restaurants and retailers, and an increasing number of options are out there for patients to choose from. With more urgent care centers and retail clinics available, private practices have to cater more to patient demands.
Read more here:
2. Getting paid
Between value-based pay and increasing denials, physicians are increasingly struggling when it comes to getting paid what they are owed.
Read more here:
1. Administrative burdens
Physicians say administrative hassles and regulatory requirements are their biggest challenge, with the need for prior authorizations being a common complaint.
Read more here:
Download Issue: December 25, 2019 edition
