Posted on 03/22/2013 10:25:39 AM PDT by grundle
WASHINGTON — THURSDAY, March 21, 2013 (MedPage Today) — Most physicians have a pessimistic outlook on the future of medicine, citing eroding autonomy and falling income, a survey of more than 600 doctors found.
Six in 10 physicians (62 percent) said it is likely many of their colleagues will retire earlier than planned in the next 1 to 3 years, a survey from Deloitte Center for Health Solutions found. That perception is uniform across age, gender, and specialty, it said.
Another 55 percent of surveyed doctors believe others will scale back hours because of the way medicine is changing, but the survey didn't elaborate greatly on how it was changing. Three-quarters think the best and brightest may not consider a career in medicine, although that is an increase from the 2011 survey result of 69 percent.
"Physicians recognize 'the new normal' will necessitate major changes in the profession that require them to practice in different settings as part of a larger organization that uses technologies and team-based models for consumer (patient) care," the survey's findings stated.
About two-thirds of the survey responders said they believe physicians and hospitals will become more integrated in coming years. In the last 2 years, 31 percent moved into a larger practice, results found. Nearly eight in 10 believe midlevel providers will play a larger role in directing primary care.
Four in 10 doctors reported their take-home pay decreased from 2011 to 2012, and more than half said the pay cut was 10 percent or less, according to Deloitte. Among physicians reporting a pay cut, four in 10 blame the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and 48 percent of all doctors believed their income would drop again in 2012 as a result of the health reform law.
Other findings:
26 percent believe Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula will be repealed in the next 1 to 3 years One in 10 believe medical liability reform will pass Congress in the next 1 to 3 years A quarter of physicians would place new or additional limits on accepting Medicare patients if there were payment changes 55 percent of physicians believe the hospital-doctor relationship will suffer as admitting privileges are put at risk to comply with hospital standards of meaningful use 31 percent gave the U.S. healthcare system a favorable grade of "A or B" compared with 35 percent in 2011
Despite those pessimistic views, seven of 10 said they were satisfied about practicing medicine, although that number was lower for primary care providers and higher for younger age groups, the survey found. Dissatisfaction was attributed toward less time with patients, long hours, and dealing with Medicare, Medicaid, and government regulations.
Speaking of the ACA, fewer physicians (38 percent in 2012) believe the ACA is a step in the wrong direction compared with 44 percent in 2011. The number who think the law is a good place to start remained the same.
Two-thirds of physicians in the Deloitte survey say they use an electronic health record (EHR) that meets meaningful use stage 1 requirements, but that number has been lower in other surveys. Three in 5 respondents were satisfied with their EHR.
Deloitte mailed the survey to more than 20,000 physicians selected from the American Medical Association's master file. Just 613 returned completed surveys, giving a margin of error of 3.9 percent at the 0.95 confidence level.
Source: Survey: More Docs Plan to Retire Early
Doctors in the USSR didn’t get paid beans. Their health care was third-world bad.
I asked my doctor to sign a form for work the other day he pulled out a thermometer and said some a hole has my pen
CC
I dream of the day when Obama will be sentenced to a lifetime of Obamacare.
The Bolsheviks at the DNC knew the numbers didn’t add up.(and never will) Part of the scheme was to bring in third world Doctors with 3rd world credentials to work for Peanuts while forcing out all but the true Cool Aide drinking Doctors and their high salaries.
“I asked my doctor to sign a form for work the other day he pulled out a thermometer and said some a hole has my pen”
Ba-Dum-Bump
What a joke. They take a survey and ask doctors what they think other doctors will do? Why didnt they just ask the doctors themselves what they plan to do?
Retiring early OR, switching to the concierge model of practice, thereby making quality healthcare available ONLY to those who can pay cash for it. That’s what I’m seeing out there.
Primary care will be handled by mid-levels.
I asked my doctor and he said he planned to retire much earlier than originally planned. Said that obamacare and retirement was just about the only subjects to come up when he talks to his colleagues.
They don’t have to ask them if they’re going to retire early. They are already doing it. You’re going to be shocked a year or two from now when the numbers start coming out.
In my quarterly appointment earlier this month, my internist got sidetracked into a rant regarding all the changing regulations with the insurance companies and pharmaceutial companies. He said it was enough to make him consider early retirement.
Most of the Obamacare regs don’t really hit until next year. That is when we may see chaos in the medical profession — health facilities closing, physicians dropping out, patients getting reduced care, etc.
“I asked my doctor and he said he planned to retire much earlier than originally planned. Said that obamacare and retirement was just about the only subjects to come up when he talks to his colleagues.”
I used to think doctors had it pretty sweet but mine told me with the regulations and having to input evertyhing on computers he works 12-14 hours every day and he makes about what I do. He is probably in his early 60’s and has had enough so he is getting ready to retire.
Yeah, sure...he's rich and he's exempt.
Dittos from my doctor friend. He is a neo-natal surgeon. He's getting out early as well.
I should have added - this survey sent questionnaires to the AMA master file. I assume that includes AMA members and former members.
Any where from 22% to 29% of physicians belong to AMA. Plus, 77% of physicians say AMA does not represent their views. The survey is meaningless.
What will be meaningful is the number of physicians who cut back and retire starting this year.
They are just as good as the real thing. Honest.
The original plan was to destroy the current system of healthcare and replace it with a government run system.
We are going to end up with foreign born and educated doctors prevalent in the system.
Sounds like a plan.......from Hell.
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