The patient-physician relationship is in critical condition

The state of medicine in America is a highly discussed topic today. The reports are rarely positive. Politicians battle for control over their vision for health care and predict doom and gloom if the other side “wins.” The cost of health care continues to rise for employers and employees. Physician burnout and dissatisfaction are on the rise. We hear from politicians, media outlets, and others on how to fix the health care crisis. The two groups we hear the least from however are patients and doctors. In the next few paragraphs, I will outline why the patient-physician relationship is in critical condition and how resuscitating this relationship could prove to be a valuable step in healing our health care system. As physicians, the first step is to look in the mirror and address our faults. It has been well documented that physicians have less control over patient care now than at any other time in American history. Most of us are employed and work for larger organizations. Private or small group practices make up a minority of practice opportunities and so autonomy in patient care has been lost. Mega-mergers are occurring across the country, consolidating power and control of regional health care. The loss of private practice opportunities is an economic reality. The cost of running a small practice is not feasible for many now due to ever-changing regulations, electronic medical record requirements and lower reimbursement for services. There are certainly benefits to la...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Policy Public Health & Washington Watch Source Type: blogs