Hardening Of The Categories: Why We Have A Shortage Of Physicians To Treat COVID-19 Patients
Because science is advancing our understanding of medicine at an exponential rate, physicians and surgeons have been turning to subspecialization as a means to narrow their required domains of expertise. “Carving out a niche” makes sense in a profession where new research is being published at a rate of two million articles per year. Just filtering the signal from the noise can be a full time job.
However, the consequences of narrowing one’s expertise is that you lose flexibility. For example, an orthopedist who has subspecialized in the surgical management of the shoulder joint doesn’t keep her s...
Source: Better Health - January 11, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Policy Opinion AMA COVID-19 fellowship NP NPP Over specialization PA Physician Burnout physician retraining Physician Shortage workforce solution Source Type: blogs
The Paradoxical Under-employment of Rehab Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic
I used to joke that for all the hardships of being a physician, at least we had job security. Little did I know that a viral illness would put some physicians “on the bread line.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the physician workforce in both anticipated and unanticpated ways. While stay-at-home orders decrease temporary demand for cosmetic and elective surgical procedures by dermatologists and orthopedic surgeons, inpatient rehabilitation facilities are also feeling the squeeze, though the number of patients who need their services are growing exponentially (due to post-COVID syndromes).
I...
Source: Better Health - January 10, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Disability Locum Tenens Long COVID Physiatry Physician Workforce PM&R Rehabilitation Physician Under-employment Unemployment Source Type: blogs
Patient Access to Medical Services Varies by Individual Physician ’ s Will to Fight Insurance Companies
American healthcare reform debates are focused on strategies to provide “access” to medical services for all. Lack of insurance (or under-insurance) seems to be the primary focus, as it is falsely assumed that coverage provides access. Unfortunately, the situation is far more complicated.
Once a person has health insurance, there is no guarantee that they will receive the medical services that they need. Not because their plan is insufficiently robust, but because the roadblocks for approval of services (provided in the plans) are so onerous that those providing the service often give up before they receive i...
Source: Better Health - July 3, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Policy Opinion Administrative Burden Coverage Is Not Care Health Insurance Roadblocks Pre-Authorization Underinsured Source Type: blogs
All Physicians Should Engage In Pharmaceutical Whack-A-Mole: Please Follow Physiatry ’ s Lead
Medical school prepares physicians to prescribe medications for prevention and treatment of disease, but little to no time is spent teaching something just as important: de-prescribing. In our current system of auto-refills, e-prescriptions, and mindless “check box” EMR medication reconciliation, patients may continue taking medications years after their original prescriber intended them to stop. There is no doubt that many Americans are over-medicated, and the problem compounds itself as we age. Although “no-no” lists for Seniors (a tip of the hat to the American Geriatrics Society “Beers Li...
Source: Better Health - June 12, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Policy Uncategorized Beers criteria de-prescribing deprescribing Falls Hospital Readmission Rate Reduction MedBox Test over medicated Patient Safety Physiatry polypharmacy Side Effects Source Type: blogs
Words Of Wisdom For Doctors Interested In Trying Locum Tenens Work
I receive a significant amount of email in response to my blog posts about locum tenens work. Curious colleagues (from surgeons to internists and emergency medicine physicians) ask for insider insight into this “mysterious business” of being a part-time or traveling physician. I am always happy to respond individually, but suddenly realized that I should probably post these conversations on my blog so that all can benefit.
The most common question I receive is: How do the agencies compare with one another? Followed closely by: Where should I start? There is no online rating system for this industry, and so grad...
Source: Better Health - June 5, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Tips Opinion Best Locum Tenens gig economy healthcare workforce Largest Locum Tenens Locum Tenens Ratings Quality Locum Tenens Traveling Physician Source Type: blogs
How Does The Gig Economy Translate To Physician Work?
The New Yorker recently featured a long essay about a popular new episodic work style sweeping America: the “gig economy.” The gig economy unbundles units of work previously tied to an employer or specific job. Online platforms serve as conveners to match task requests with those seeking to complete them. The New Yorker notes:
TaskRabbit, which was founded in 2008, is one of several companies that, in the past few years, have collectively helped create a novel form of business. The model goes by many names—the sharing economy; the gig economy; the on-demand, peer, or platform economy—but the companies sh...
Source: Better Health - May 15, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Opinion Concierge Medicine Direct Primary Care gig economy gigging IT Locum Tenens Nomad Health Physician Burnout Physician Workforce Tech Source Type: blogs
Most Doctors Could Pay Off Their Student Loans Quickly If They Took Short Term Austerity Measures
At the risk of vilification by my peers, I’m going to say something extremely unpopular. We physicians have it pretty good financially. Our salaries are generous, and we have a much higher standard of living than most others in America. When I read online physician complaints about student loan debt, I cringe a bit. Because of all the people in debt, we are some of the most likely to be able to pay it down quickly.
Medical school and residency are emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. There is no doubt that we are severely cash-strapped during those years, and yearn for the day when we can go out to a ni...
Source: Better Health - April 21, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Opinion Loans Medical School Debt Physician Salaries student loan debt Source Type: blogs
Telehealth: Cost Saver or Cost Driver?
Over 1 million virtual doctor visits were reported in 2015. Telehealth companies have long asserted that increased access to physicians via video or phone conferencing saves money by reducing office visits and Emergency Department care. But a new study calls this cost savings into question. Increased convenience can increase utilization, which may improve access, but not reduce costs.
The study has some obvious limitations. First of all, it followed patients who used one particular telehealth service for one specific cluster of disease (“respiratory illness”) and narrowed the cost measure to spending on that co...
Source: Better Health - April 7, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Opinion Costs DocTalker eDocAmerica Health Insurance HSA Outpatient Medicine Telehealth Telemedicine Source Type: blogs
Cancer Patients May Not Get The Rehab They Need: A Missed Opportunity To Consider
This blog post first appeared at: Curious Dr. George
Rehabilitation medicine is one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare. Although the specialty is as old as America’s Civil War, few people are familiar with its history and purpose. Born out of compassion for wounded soldiers in desperate need of societal re-entry and meaningful employment, “physical reconstruction” programs were developed to provide everything from adaptive equipment to family training, labor alternatives and psychological support for veterans.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) then expanded to meet the needs of those injured in Wo...
Source: Better Health - April 5, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Health Tips Opinion Cancer Rehab Oncology Physiatry PM&R Rehabilitating From Cancer Rehabilitation Medicine Source Type: blogs
