Feeling of physical and emotional exhaustion , reduced sense of accomplishment, negative attitude towards patients or their concerns all constitute symptoms of ( Physician burnout syndrome) which is on the rise in America!
After so many long years of extensive studying, testing, training, and big loans owed , now there is a greater number of physicians either retiring early or change careers all together!
Why?, their work load increased with less revenues , more bureaucracy, regulations,paperwork, and since more doctors have no ( business experience ) , they have lost control!
With mounting daily pressure on physicians to survive financially and navigate the long list of challenges just to be able what they were trained to do which is taking care of people, they are wondering daily if there is anything left for them after paying all the over head costs or at least break even!
Although doctors control 100% of healthcare dollars, they get paid less and less when compared with CEOs and administrators and this was verified by published Medicare data. The CEOs and administrators get to make all Business-related decisions and physicians ( have to do what they were told if they want to keep their jobs!)
Even with that, doctors are loosing jobs from hospitals, healthcare systems, insurance companies and even retail clinics as they are being replaced by ( cheaper labor provided by Nurse Practitioners) under growing financial stresses again to keep overhead down. So , doctors have to lead again this time in the ( Healthcare Business ) in addition to delivering healthcare to be able to thrive financially and continue to provide care for patients.
I am very concerned about the long ignored ,non publicized ( physician burnout which is in some survey studies reached as high as 60% among practicing physicians) and will lead sadly in some instances to an alarming rate of physician suicide when physicians loose control, income, job, and ability to function as a healer not as a ( slave)! so here are some practical solutions that will help both physicians and patients alike
1. Adopt Direct Care Medicine between physicians and patients without the third party added stress and hassle to both especially when the doctors are doing fine job serving their patients.
2. Adopt cost effective Healthcare strategy with early detection and management of diseases which will prevent costly hospitalizations and procedures . The data are very robust and reproducible not only in our ( Concierge Medicine Program) but others as well with direct relationship between patient and doctor have shown better outcome and significant savings to patient, as well as employer and insurance company .
4. Adopt evidence -based medicine guidelines and established protocols in various disease entities to help cut down healthcare cost to the patient .
5. Invest in your personal relationship with your patient to build the trust which makes the practice of medicine very special!
Together as physicians , we can restore the dignity of the patient and the honor of our noble profession bypassing the third party control and abuse which has contributed to physician burnout in a free healthcare market. After all, a good caring doctor brings added value which can never be replaced!