Most of us are now familiar with the estimates that as much as one-third of our health care dollars are squandered on ineffective, often unnecessary, unproven and overpriced products and services. But which third? The fat in our health-care system…
Most of us are now familiar with the estimates that as much as one-third of our health care dollars are squandered on ineffective, often unnecessary, unproven and overpriced products and services. But which third?
The fat in our health-care system is not hanging out conveniently on the edges of the steak, waiting to be trimmed. It will take a scalpel, a keen eye, and a steady hand to remove at least …
A common complaint is that doctors these days are spending more time doing clerical tasks. Examples include filling out pre-authorization forms, talking to health plans for pre-certifications on imaging studies, and spending time jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Generally, you do…
A common complaint is that doctors these days are spending more time doing clerical tasks.
Examples include filling out pre-authorization forms, talking to health plans for pre-certifications on imaging studies, and spending time jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Generally, you do not need a medical degree to do these tasks.
Bob Doherty points to a study that gives some numbers to back up the claims. Primary care doctors spend about 3.5 …
Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.1. Carla Kakutani on the lack of primary care access in Massachusetts:So we have a chicken and egg problem. Do we wait health care reform until we have revived…
Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.
1. Carla Kakutani on the lack of primary care access in Massachusetts: So we have a chicken and egg problem. Do we wait health care reform until we have revived US primary care, or is that even possible without health care reform to create the disruption needed to change our entrenched fee-for-service, procedure-happy payment …
Top story in The New York Times.Excellent.There's hope that maybe, just maybe, we're getting through to the decision makers in Washington.The article itself is old news to regular readers of this blog, and regurgitates many of the arguments impeding health…
Top story in The New York Times.
Excellent.
There’s hope that maybe, just maybe, we’re getting through to the decision makers in Washington.
The article itself is old news to regular readers of this blog, and regurgitates many of the arguments impeding health reform, as well as the problems in solving them.
“Obama administration officials, alarmed at doctor shortages, are looking for ways to increase …
Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.1. Dr. Gwenn on limited health literacy:For us to do a better job with patients and teach them to be better advocates for themselves, we need more time -…
Here are some of the more interesting comments readers have left recently.
1. Dr. Gwenn on limited health literacy: For us to do a better job with patients and teach them to be better advocates for themselves, we need more time – plain and simple. At the same time, patients need more community supports to understand the complex health world and build the skills they need …
For those who don't know, every piece of work that a doctor performs is quantified and measured.The base unit of physician work is known as the relative value unit (RVU). Most physician salaries are determined by the amount of RVUs…
For those who don’t know, every piece of work that a doctor performs is quantified and measured.
The base unit of physician work is known as the relative value unit (RVU). Most physician salaries are determined by the amount of RVUs a doctor produces in a given year, and in most cases, can range between$35 and $45 per RVU in primary care, depending on geographic location and …
The following op-ed was published on January 14th, 2009 in the USA Today. Every patient's worst nightmare is going to the hospital for a procedure only to have a surgical instrument left in his body, the wrong limb or organ…
The following op-ed was published on January 14th, 2009 in the USA Today.
Every patient’s worst nightmare is going to the hospital for a procedure only to have a surgical instrument left in his body, the wrong limb or organ operated on or, worse, dying from a medical mistake. These types of mistakes should never happen.
So when Medicare recently instituted a plan to deny hospital payments for …
The following op-ed was published on December 3rd, 2008 in the USA Today. Emblematic of soaring health care costs, which are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2011,is the nationwide crisis of emergency department overcrowding. More than $18 billion is…
The following op-ed was published on December 3rd, 2008 in the USA Today.
Emblematic of soaring health care costs, which are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2011,is the nationwide crisis of emergency department overcrowding. More than $18 billion is wasted annually on unnecessary visits to the ER,with volume rising by 32% and wait times almost doubling to one hour during the past decade. Relieving this strain …
The following op-ed was published on August 22nd, 2008 in the USA Today. "Why should I care if doctors get a pay cut?" my patient recently asked me. Therein lies the delicate dilemma physicians face today. While the common perception…
The following op-ed was published on August 22nd, 2008 in the USA Today.
“Why should I care if doctors get a pay cut?” my patient recently asked me.
Therein lies the delicate dilemma physicians face today. While the common perception is that the medical profession is well-compensated, there are serious implications in targeting physician pay to control medical spending.
Congress recently passed a bill protecting doctors from a 10.6% …
The following op-ed was published on May 4th, 2008 in the Nashua Telegraph. Communication in medicine grows worse by the day. What should be a pillar of quality health care is instead a resounding failure. Patients are rushed through office…
The following op-ed was published on May 4th, 2008 in the Nashua Telegraph.
Communication in medicine grows worse by the day. What should be a pillar of quality health care is instead a resounding failure.
Patients are rushed through office visits and often leave without having their questions answered. Labyrinthine barriers have to be overcome before speaking with a physician. Reaching a medical provider via the …
The following op-ed was published on March 13th, 2008 in the USA Today. Crippling health care bills, long emergency room waits and the inability to find a primary care physician just scratch the surface of the problems that patients face…
The following op-ed was published on March 13th, 2008 in the USA Today.
Crippling health care bills, long emergency room waits and the inability to find a primary care physician just scratch the surface of the problems that patients face daily.
Surveys suggest that health care is a top domestic priority in the presidential election, and there is no lack of ideas on how to fix our system. …
The following op-ed was published on August 6th, 2007 in the New Hampshire Union Leader. Medicare is planning to cut physician payment rates by 10 percent in 2008. These reductions will continue annually, and it is predicted that the total…
The following op-ed was published on August 6th, 2007 in the New Hampshire Union Leader.
Medicare is planning to cut physician payment rates by 10 percent in 2008. These reductions will continue annually, and it is predicted that the total cuts will be about 40 percent by 2016.
The topic of physician compensation generally elicits little public sympathy. After all, the average primary care physician salary in 2006 …
