Physician Compensation Shifts: A New Era for Recruiting and Retention

Hospitals must take the lead in transforming physician compensation by shifting from traditional fee-for-service models to value-based care that prioritizes patient outcomes over service volume. This transition will require collaboration with physicians, transparent financial discussions, and innovative payment structures to prevent burnout and improve efficiency. By embracing change, hospitals can create sustainable compensation models that align incentives, enhance patient care, and ensure long-term financial stability.

Is the shift away from fee-for-service models creating uncertainty for financial stability and the future of patient care?

Read the entire article by clicking here: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/compensation-issues/physician-compensation-reform-gains-steam

By: Laura Dyrda

Debunking 7 Myths about Locums

Locum tenens offers a flexible and rewarding career path for physicians at any stage of their journey, yet several myths surround this practice. Let’s debunk the top misconceptions.

Myth #1: Locum Tenens is Only for Retiring Physicians

While locum tenens is a popular option for seasoned physicians transitioning into semi-retirement, it offers valuable benefits at any career stage. Newly graduated physicians can explore diverse locations and practice settings before committing to a permanent role. Mid-career physicians often use locum tenens to increase income or develop new skills.

Myth #2: You Can’t Work Locums Full-Time

Many physicians successfully make locum tenens their full-time career, enjoying the flexibility and freedom it provides. Locums offers a better work-life balance, allowing more time for travel, family, and combating burnout.

Myth #3: You Have to Accept Every Opportunity

With locum tenens, you’re in control. You choose the assignments you take, how often you work, and which opportunities to decline.

Myth #4: Locum Assignments Are Only Short-Term

Locum tenens offers flexible assignment lengths to suit any lifestyle. Options range from short-term contracts lasting days or weeks to longer ones lasting months. Many assignments also offer recurring contracts, allowing physicians to return periodically, which benefits underserved communities.

Myth #5: Locum Tenens Work is Unstable

Locum tenens offers flexibility with the option to create a predictable schedule. Working with reputable agencies ensures consistent placements and reliable support

Myth #6: Locum Tenens Requires Constant Travel

Many assume locum tenens work always involves traveling, but that’s not the case. Physicians can take local assignments, allowing them to work temporarily or part-time in their own area or nearby. In fact, 51% of locum physicians work locally.

Myth #7: Locum Tenens Physicians Provide Lower-Quality Care

Studies show locum tenens physicians provide care on par with permanent staff. A  study found no difference in mortality rates between patients treated by locum and non-locum physicians. Additionally, research found patients treated by locums had shorter hospital stays, lower costs, and no increase in readmissions or mortality.

The Hospitalist Boom

Hospitalists have taken over inpatient care from primary care physicians, allowing for dedicated, round-the-clock hospital coverage that improves patient outcomes and hospital efficiency while addressing the physician shortage. Studies show hospitalists reduce hospital stays, readmissions, and costs, allowing primary care physicians to focus on outpatient care and enhancing the overall quality of patient care in both rural and urban hospitals.

By Stefanie Asin

Read the entire article by clicking here: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/the-rise-of-hospitalists-explained.html

NALTO Fall Fly-In: The Past, Present, and Future of Locum Tenens

“‘Learning how others are tackling the obstacles our industry faces and embracing the new opportunities helps us serve the locum tenens industry better,’ says Olivia Reed, NALTO’s Conference Committee Chair. ‘This year, I’m especially excited about the Past, Present, and Future President’s panel. It’s going to be such a unique experience to learn how our industry has shifted over the years and what these industry experts foresee for the future.’

Amidst record-breaking growth in the temporary physician staffing market, the locum tenens world converges once again next week for the annual Fall Fly-In hosted by the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations on Sept. 26-27, 2023, in picturesque Park City, Utah.”

By Bradley Roberts

Read the entire article by clicking here: https://www.locumpedia.com/news/2023-nalto-fall-fly-in-preview/

For Doctors Hit by COVID-19 Stress: Tools to Help

The COVID-19 pandemic’s emotionally pulverizing impact on physicians and the health-professional workforce has exacerbated the mental health and burnout crisis within health care and demands action. In the article below from the American Medical Association (AMA), they express how they support legislation in Congress—S. 4349/H.R. 8094, “The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act”—named after the 49-year-old physician whose tragic death made headlines in an early pandemic hot spot already overwhelmed by COVID-19.”—  the act also includes to establish grants for many health professionals/providers.

Clicking on the article below you can learn more about “The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act” as well as the collection of news articles that detail other steps the AMA is taking to prevent suicide among doctors and the resources that individuals and organizations can use to help save lives.

Written by: Kevin B O’Reilly

https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health/doctors-hit-hard-covid-19-stress-there-are-tools-help

Technology Will Combat Medical Error and Reduce Physician Burnout

As we have read in previous blog post, many physicians are dealing with information overload, however technology can help. There is rapid growth and sharing of medical information has the possibility to improve patient care. However, it can also lead to physician burnout. To put into perspective; medical knowledge doubles every 3.5 years and is projected to double in just 73 days in 2021. General practitioners would need to read 20.7 hours per day to keep up with primary care literature. What a doctor learns during the first three years of medical school will amount to only 6% of what is known a decade later. Medical errors occur most often when doctors do not have quick access to evidence-based information.

Therefore, it may appear counterintuitive that greater access to information increases the risk of medical error, but with more than 800,000 medical papers published each year, there is no efficient way for any physician to process that, which means clinicians may not be current with all the latest drug and treatment recommendations. This article explains the relationship between medical error, information overload and physician burnout, first generation software, mobile applications to process data and provide information, diagnosis, calculators, clinical reference tools, landmark research summaries, drug reference and the verdict.

Source: https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/contributed-how-technology-will-combat-medical-error-and-reduce-physician-burnout
Written by: Jay Ripton