Serious work put into making primary care fun again
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American Medical News
June 3, 2013
Innovative clinics say redesigning the flow of care and freeing doctors from administrative hassles may boost physician satisfaction.
Amid alarming rates of physician burnout, hundreds of clinics nationwide are redesigning their practices with a goal in mind beyond improving the quality of care. They are aiming to make life as a primary care doctor enjoyable once more.
Twenty-three of these clinics are profiled in a report in the May/June Annals of Family Medicine that describes practice innovations that can ease the chaos, administrative overload, miscommunication and computerized busy work that too often characterize primary care. These clinics find that planning visits ahead of time, delegating more tasks to nurses and medical assistants, holding daily meetings and using standing orders for recurring items not only improves patient satisfaction but also creates happier doctors…
“All medical care, and especially primary care, is incredibly complex, creative work that requires willing, engaged participants and strong support to be successful,” Dr. Schutzbank said. “We use silly words like ‘joy’ and ‘love’ and ‘hope’ because that’s what we need. We don’t need more rules or checklists or regulations.” To read the full article click here.
