Physician burnout is turning out to be one of those problems that never seems to go away. According to the Physicians Foundation’s 2018 Survey of America’s Physicians, medical professionals across the country continue to suffer the negative emotional and psychological effects of issues such as low morale, high pessimism (especially regarding the future of healthcare) and job dissatisfaction. Nearly 78 percent of physicians surveyed declared feelings of burnout “sometimes/often/always.” Unfortunately, many of America’s healthcare providers are overextended, overworked and struggling to maintain compliance while bogged down by an ever-increasing amount of required paperwork.

Bringing a new physician into your practice often starts long before his or her first day at work. First you had to actively recruit for the position. After compiling the initial pool of candidates, you then had to take time to conduct interviews and attend meetups before making the final selection. Then came salary negotiations, the final employment agreement and believe it or not, that was just the beginning. The onboarding of a new physician is often a multi-week process that includes verification of credentials, acquisition of ID numbers for items such as his or her medical license, DEA license, NPI, Medicare, etc. Then comes the process of applying for and obtaining necessary privileges and credentials for the practice’s accepted insurance plans as well as any relevant hospitals or ambulatory service centers.

Interested in increasing your practice's performance by improving patient workflow? It may not be as intimidating as you think. By evaluating your practice, asking and answering thoughtful questions, and creating an actionable plan, you can start on your way to transforming how your practice is ran. This practice evaluation guide poses questions that encourage you to truly assess the areas in need of improvement and provides you with the tools to execute a resolution.

Although all physicians suffer from burnout to some degree, some feel it more keenly than others. According to a recent survey in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, orthopedic surgeons have one of the highest burnout rates, with nearly half the specialty expressing feelings of emotional frustration, depression and depletion.

Driven by a growing need for change, in 2007 three prominent retina practices in the Denver metropolitan area merged to form Colorado Retina Associates (CRA)—the largest retina practice in the Rocky Mountain Region with six locations, including two satellite offices in Kansas and South Dakota. The impetus for the merger was to maintain a strong and progressive organization and effectively compete in an increasingly managed care marketplace; focusing on treating several ocular conditions. This includes macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, eye tumors and uveitis.

Does your Ophthalmology practice struggle with slow charting? Are you frustrated by how much time it takes to fully document patient care?

Long waits, inefficient care episodes and distracted doctors can make your patients feel like they’re living a nightmare. There’s no better time than Halloween to get rid of any process skeletons and explore a few tricks and treats for strengthening performance. Here are some key ways that technology can ensure your practice is ready to handle whatever ghosts and goblins come your way.

How your EMR & Practice Management Systems Play a Part in Contingency Planning Disaster. Catastrophe. Crisis. Most of us do not like the think about these things, and we often neglect to plan for them until they are upon us. But in the midst of recent events—Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, wildfires in California and one of the largest earthquakes in Mexico—it is important to recognize that contingency planning is something that should not be overlooked, waiting until a threat is imminent and we must react.