Where Have All The Doctors Gone?

[Duaine]

"Where Have All The Doctors Gone" sung to the tune of
"Where Have All The Flowers Gone?"


Having 30 million uninsured knocking on your door for "free" healthcare would sure stress me out too!

Burnout and stress

The big problem is that doctors are simply tired of their jobs.
According to Mayo Clinic research, nearly half of all doctors say they’re currently experiencing either emotional exhaustion,

depersonalization or a low sense of personal accomplishment. A third show signs of depression and 6 percent say they’ve considered suicide in the past year.

Burnt-out doctors put patients at risk. Job-related fatigue can compromise medical care, increase medical errors and translate to doctors leaving the medical field.

Doctors suffer a higher rate of stress and burnout than workers in other careers, due in part to the fact that doctors work longer hours. Almost 40 percent of doctors report working at least 60 hours a week, compared to only 10 percent of the general population.

Docs also aren’t happy about their work-life balance, saying their jobs don’t leave enough time for a personal life or family. That’s an important note, considering most individuals entering the primary care field are women.

 

[Emmanuel]

What depresses me about this research is what it says about the implications for patients:

"More than four in 10 U.S. physicians said they were emotionally exhausted or felt a high degree of cynicism, or "depersonalization," toward their patients"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In case anybody is interested, the results come from a survey of nearly 7,300 doctors who filled in questionnaires about their work-life balance in 2011

 

[AllenChicago]

June 5, 2015

This is amazing & sad. Guess which profession is now #1 on the Suicide list...

The List: Top 10 Professions with High Suicide Rates

Most likely, the physician suicide rate would be lower if ObamaCare had never existed.

 

[bobson]

"Where Have All The Doctors Gone" sung to the tune of
"Where Have All The Flowers Gone?"


Having 30 million uninsured knocking on your door for "free" healthcare would sure stress me out too!

Burnout and stress

The big problem is that doctors are simply tired of their jobs.
According to Mayo Clinic research, nearly half of all doctors say they’re currently experiencing either emotional exhaustion,

depersonalization or a low sense of personal accomplishment. A third show signs of depression and 6 percent say they’ve considered suicide in the past year.

Burnt-out doctors put patients at risk. Job-related fatigue can compromise medical care, increase medical errors and translate to doctors leaving the medical field.

Doctors suffer a higher rate of stress and burnout than workers in other careers, due in part to the fact that doctors work longer hours. Almost 40 percent of doctors report working at least 60 hours a week, compared to only 10 percent of the general population.

Docs also aren’t happy about their work-life balance, saying their jobs don’t leave enough time for a personal life or family. That’s an important note, considering most individuals entering the primary care field are women.

Can you write one to the tune of "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?"

 

[LGilmore]

Sorry fellas Obamacare has absolutely nothing to do with this. This issue has been going on for years and years.

Mostly it is the conflict of doctors trying to provide good quality service to their patients and hospital administrators trying to get as many patients seen as possible to boost the bottom line.

It isn't about what type of insurance is in place, it's about a conflict between hospital administrators and the actual providers of care.

I have had the fortune or misfortune to be a regular visitor to doctors offices over the past 20 years. I have seen some great doctors leave the profession or move onto day clinics simply because the hours demanded by Administrators that they work. To put it simply, they don't get to see their kids grow up. For many, they didn't sign on to abandon their families, yet they are pushed to do just that.

I always thought it was a difference between the mindsets of administrators and providers. It seemed administrators had no concerns over family time issues because of what may be lacking in theirs. If your kids don't matter, you have a hard time understanding why they do for somebody else.

Medicine is changing though as the new doctors enter the fray, they are rejecting the 80 hour work week. What you find is that residents get stuck with the 70-80 work weeks. Sort of a right of passage or simply a dare.

It was not uncommon for my son to put in 75 hours a week as a resident. They used to have to pull a 30 hour shift pretty often. Never understood this concept, keeping a doctor on the clock for 30 hours. Sort of seemed like a frat ritual for membership

Medical mistakes occur at a much greater rate after an MD has been at work for more than 16 hours. There is absolutely no legit reason for a 30 hour shift. The funny thing is we make truckers park and sleep after 8 hours of driving, but absolutely nothing about making a md work for 30. Aren't both a safety issue?

 

[scagnt83]

Mostly it is the conflict of doctors trying to provide good quality service to their patients and hospital administrators trying to get as many patients seen as possible to boost the bottom line.

It isn't about what type of insurance is in place, it's about a conflict between hospital administrators and the actual providers of care.

This isnt just about hospitals. Family practitioners are the ones who have been hit the worst by this. Ocare has increased their overhead significantly. The restructures to coding and claims have been horrific for most family practitioners. Most have had to hire on 1 or 2 extra staff just because of Ocare... that is easily a $100k-$200k min increase in overhead. Then on top of increased overhead, throw in the 3 month free care waiver if an exchange policy lapses. Not to mention the fact that malpractice insurance has increased because of the claims experience dealing with uninsureds/newly insureds.

ACA has been an extremely hard change for small practices. Many are selling out to the surrounding hospitals because they would go broke otherwise.

Keep in mind that I am not one of the people who thought things were fine how they were. We needed reform. But this is just government subsidized corporate welfare at the highest level. It was insurance reform... not healthcare reform. The price of insurance is a product of the underlying healthcare system.

 

[tonyisme]

I just sold a policy to one who moved to Panama

 

[LGilmore]

The pressure on small practices to give in and join big chains has been going on for years.

I am sure the ACA is having an effect. I just don't think it is the driver of so many things that are being claimed out there. Not saying you're doing this.

To me, it's just another plan change, like everyone I've seen for 26 years. Health insurance in the USA has always been around, but we can never say it has been stable.

The only certainty with health care is change. The ACA will continue to change. Problems will be brought to light and most will be fixed.

I guess I've been around so long that the end is near doesn't phase me anymore.

 

[Newby]

This isnt just about hospitals. Family practitioners are the ones who have been hit the worst by this. Ocare has increased their overhead significantly. The restructures to coding and claims have been horrific for most family practitioners. Most have had to hire on 1 or 2 extra staff just because of Ocare... that is easily a $100k-$200k min increase in overhead. Then on top of increased overhead, throw in the 3 month free care waiver if an exchange policy lapses. Not to mention the fact that malpractice insurance has increased because of the claims experience dealing with uninsureds/newly insureds. ACA has been an extremely hard change for small practices. Many are selling out to the surrounding hospitals because they would go broke otherwise. Keep in mind that I am not one of the people who thought things were fine how they were. We needed reform. But this is just government subsidized corporate welfare at the highest level. It was insurance reform... not healthcare reform. The price of insurance is a product of the underlying healthcare system.

Adding 1-2 office staff costs them $100,000 to $200,000? How much did they raise minimum wage to last year?

 

[justthefacts]

The pressure on small practices to give in and join big chains has been going on for years.

I am sure the ACA is having an effect. I just don't think it is the driver of so many things that are being claimed out there. Not saying you're doing this.

To me, it's just another plan change, like everyone I've seen for 26 years. Health insurance in the USA has always been around, but we can never say it has been stable.

The only certainty with health care is change. The ACA will continue to change. Problems will be brought to light and most will be fixed.

I guess I've been around so long that the end is near doesn't phase me anymore.

Agreed I have to been at this(30 plus)for too long to go along with the sky is falling comments from wingnut youthful agents. ACA outrage on this forum comes from instinctive partisanship and understandable fear of losing commissions. I made great$$$ on workers comp and malpractice commissions both went to pool rates in my state . Yes I was pissed off and scared! I moved on and found other policies to represent if agents want to stay in the trade best start looking!