October 2018 Orlando Medical News

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Burnout Rates Continue to Rise By PL JETER Three of four doctors have suffered burnout, a much higher rate than a few years ago when a perfect storm of changes rocked the healthcare industry. Compared nationwide, Florida physicians experience burnout more frequently than their counterparts. “It’s sobering,” said Gary Price, MD, president of The Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit group that published the 2018 Survey of U.S. Physicians, with nearly 9,000 physicians weighing in. “The career plans and practice pattern trends revealed in this survey will likely have a significant effect on our physician workforce, and ultimately everyone’s access to care.” According to the sixth biennial survey by national physician search firm Merritt Hawkins, the problem is so severe that 31

Physicians in Florida are more pessimistic about the future of their profession

percent of Florida doctors say if they had a do-over, they wouldn’t choose the same profession, and more than half say they would not recommend medicine as a career to their children. Even more disturbing: 46 percent of respondents plan to change career paths. Much is to blame. The most frustrating problem, a vast majority of doctors say, is the inefficiency of a system created for efficiency: electronic health records (EHRs). They’re unhappy about the inefficient EHR design and interoperability; nearly half the respondents said EHRs have reduced or detracted from their interaction with patients. Other least satisfying career factors: insurance and regulatory burdens, professional liability concerns, and erosion of clinical autonomy. These problems may contribute to doctors being slow to adopt telemedicine, with only 17 percent practicing some form of it.

“The evidence points to the need for a major effort on the part of all the partners in the healthcare industry to re-examine the electronic health record as a tool for improving physician’s abilities to provide care, and reinventing it for that purpose,” said Price. Doctors also point to third party authorizations, treatment protocols, EHR design and pesky administrative tasks as adversely impacting their practice to “a great degree.” Clinical-wise, social problems – addiction, poverty, unemployment, homelessness - that make it difficult to treat patients also frustrate physicians. In fact, 81 percent of Florida doctors say their patients are impacted by a social situation that poses a serious impediment to their treatment of care. “It’s distressing that such a high number of patients are dealing with one or more social situations that are detrimental to their health,”

said Walker Ray, MD, who chairs the foundation’s research committee. “These challenges directly impact a physician’s ability to deliver effective care, and the cost implication of these issues is enormous.” Perhaps because of those circumstances, a vast majority of patients consistently don’t adhere to their treatment plans; 31 percent don’t follow plans at all. “More patients with complex and chronic diseases cannot follow through on care recommendations due to limited finances and unpredictable living situations,” said Dr. Russell Libby, board member of the Physician’s Foundation. “Physicians like to see their patients get better. When it’s diminished by social determinants, they may experience a sense of futility, failure and be more susceptible to burnout. “It’s one of the many heavy feathers accumulating on the backs of physicians and (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

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No complacency at Radiology Specialists of Florida By PL JETER

Ten years, a trio of radiologists moved to Orlando and pooled their talents to form Radiology Specialists of Florida (RSF) at Florida Hospital Central Division and Central North Division. Today, the group represents one of the nation’s largest diagnostic and interventional sub-specialized radiology groups. RSF employs over 115 radiologists in various subspecialties to perform more than 2 million imaging studies annually, including those in bone density scan

(DXA), computed tomography (CT) scan, interventional radiology (IR), MRI, mammography, nuclear medicine/PET-CT, ultrasound, women’s imaging, emergency radiology, pediatric radiology, and body imaging. RSF recently recruited twelve radiologists including a cardiac imaging radiologist from Johns Hopkins Hospital. With round the clock reads and accessibility, the group focuses on continuity of care, advanced technology, and high-image quality following Image Wisely® and Image Gently® guidelines for lowering the levels of radiation used

CALLING ALL INDEPENDENT PHYSICIAN’S INTERESTED IN

“Preserving & Protecting the Independent Physician”

in medically necessary studies. Coming soon: Prisma, a new unique and highly powerful 3T MRI platform with innovative applications. Its benefits include significantly increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), unprecedented long-term stability and minimized acoustic noise. It will be utilized specifically for neuroimaging. In 2012, RSF added much-needed residency spots by establishing an ACGME-accredited diagnostic radiology residency program, which includes Early Specialization in Interventional Radiol-

WITH GUEST SPEAKER

LARRY JONES

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 7)

WEDNESDAY OCT. 24TH

6-8:00 PM AT THE AXIOM BANK BLDG. 258 SOUTHHALL LANE, SUITE 400, MAITLAND, FL. 32751 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

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