Many challenges plaguing the healthcare industry years ago continue today, according to an article published by Jason D. Fodeman, MD, in The Washington Examiner. Dr. Fodeman used 2009, the year he graduated medical school, as a reference point to better gauge how the healthcare system has tackled its core challenges, and whether progress, if any, has been made.
In his opinion, providers were facing a trying reimbursement system in which mandates confused providers and often contradicted the other. Dwindling reimbursement in 2009 led physicians to be stretched thin, which compromised quality care and actually boosted costs to the healthcare system. Physicians today are still pressed for time, and continually striving to obtain higher reimbursement per case. Dr. Fodeman cited a recent study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine that found the typical primary care physician handles an average of 7.1 clinical issues in one 20.9 minute visit. This allows a physician approximately 3.8 minutes per issue, which in turn, leads to patients to not fully understanding their disease and treatment course.
Faced with smaller margins, practices are working to control their costs. Price control impacts patients, especially those on Medicaid. The Journal of General Internal Medicine published a review finding a link between hospital strain and patient mortality, therefore showing the payment landscape has very real consequences for patients in the U.S.
Dr. Fodeman said he is hard-pressed to find many medical professionals that could argue these issues are not still relevant today. Because these issues are getting in the way of quality care, he says industry leaders need to work hard now to address the aforementioned issues, and in turn, truncate costs and improve healthcare access.