Empowering Patients with Personalized Healthcare: Revolutionizing Outcomes?Together

The growing prioritization of quality measures among independent physicians has increased the need for improved patient engagement to ensure quality outcomes for their practices.

As per the 2019 survey titled "State of the Independent Practice," 62% of the participants agreed that the sub-standard behavior of patients negatively impacts their quality metrics. However, it is also important to note that technology can significantly enhance patient engagement and deliver Personalized Healthcare. On the other hand, patients seemed more open-minded toward technology in healthcare settings, with 79% of the respondents stating that they would prefer healthcare providers offering online or mobile-based healthcare services.

Most respondents, accounting for 78%, expressed their desire for improved accessibility to telehealth and mobile health tools.

According to the speaker, they can allocate much more time for the patient's care needs when in the patient's house than a standard office visit. By analyzing the patient's requirements and utilizing predictive analytics, they can create a customized plan of care that addresses the patient's objectives and desires while reassuring family members or caretakers. The team has various methods of maintaining contact, including social workers and providers who visit the patient's home, follow-up calls from nurses, and consultations with pharmacists. This care is then synchronized with the care managers in the primary care physician's office.

Healthcare systems prioritizing patient engagement have implemented various strategies, such as investing in their physicians' professional education and development, emphasizing activation through the organizational structure, and optimizing clinical care pathways with significant physician involvement.

Medical frameworks aligning with and activating the physician acknowledge that the physician's worth surpasses the monetary gain from collections and professional fees. This worth can be measured and promoted via different channels, such as a service-line organizational structure, physician ownership in the enterprise, programmatic support, co-management arrangements, or gainsharing agreements. It is critical to note that these programs' triumphs must stem from recognizing health outcomes and delivering high-quality, cost-effective healthcare rather than pursuing quantity over quality. The data must be compelling, efficiently obtained, processed, and distributed clearly and risk-adjusted to make sound judgments regarding these outcomes.

Implementing Proper Logistics towards value-based physician reimbursement for independent physicians can reduce administrative burden and physician burnout.

For physicians to maximize their practice revenue and minimize expenses, their enablement must be cost-effective and comprehensive. By providing the necessary support for value-based contracts, physicians can be incentivized to prioritize high-quality care. Tools that alleviate administrative burdens can also enable physicians to see more patients, ultimately increasing their fee-for-service revenue.

The ability to treat every patient regardless of their payment method is a priority for physicians. This is particularly important in the context of value-based care. For physicians to manage their patient pool in various risk-based reimbursement models found in these programs, they must be able to expand their patient base. As a result, organizations that promote physician empowerment must strive to enhance access to care for all patient demographics.

Physicians can benefit from Management Services Organizations (MSOs) by decreasing direct expenses while addressing Personalized Healthcare.?

MSOs package, delegate, and assist with essential services, including payer contracting, revenue management, care value reporting, performance management, and other similar services. The size and expertise of an MSO can provide group purchasing discounts, which can lower the cost of running a practice. By limiting administrative tasks and steadying finances, healthcare teams can allocate more time, effort, and resources to patients instead of being bogged down by paperwork.

The primary focus in solving physician burnout lies in addressing its underlying causes.

The problem of physician burnout, the phenomenon of doctors feeling exhausted and disheartened with their work, has been on the rise for several years. Recent statistics from the American Medical Association indicate that nearly three-fifths of doctors, or 63%, are experiencing burnout symptoms. While this problem has developed over the past few decades, its growth has undoubtedly accelerated, with the introduction of electronic health records and, more recently, due to the pandemic.

The impact of physician burnout is becoming increasingly apparent as a growing concern, with potentially adverse effects on modern medicine and personalized healthcare. The condition is characterized by three key domains: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of reduced accomplishment among physicians. The impact of physician burnout is not limited to individual doctors but extends to the entire healthcare system. There is a growing need for awareness of physicians' mental health and the consequences of burnout on the healthcare system.

As per a recent study, over 50% of doctors have confessed to experiencing at least one symptom of?burnout.

This review article explores the origins of burnout, its consequences for physicians and hospital administration, and potential interventions that can help mitigate this work-related syndrome. Burnout can arise from various sources, including inadequate working conditions that necessitate long work shifts, taxing on-call responsibilities, insufficient recognition for one's contributions, and suboptimal social interactions.

Physicians and residents are susceptible to negative repercussions when experiencing burnout. These consequences include depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. As a result, patient care may suffer, leading to prolonged hospital stays, increased readmissions, and a higher frequency of medical errors.

As patient and healthcare costs face greater scrutiny and medical errors, leading to more lawsuits, hospital management and physicians must acknowledge and address physician burnout.

To manage burnout and increase productivity in hospitals, there are several helpful methods to consider, including comprehensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), engaging in stress-reducing activities like mindfulness and group work, and implementing strict work-hour limitations as recommended by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for residents.

The prevalence of burnout within the medical field is currently a national crisis, with over one-third of physicians affected by it. Despite this, departments, institutions, and physicians lack the necessary tools to combat this phenomenon.?

Burnout is a complex syndrome characterized by the emotional depletion of the individual, depersonalization, and a sense of reduced accomplishment, all as a result of their surroundings. Our ethical and moral responsibility is to address burnout in physicians, as its impact on healthcare is vast.?

While past solutions have centered around individual behavioral changes, research has shown that lasting transformations occur through organizational intervention, necessitating leadership to drive these initiatives. The leaders of hospitals and departments alike are essential in addressing the root causes of burnout.

Citations

1. What is the state of independent medical practice?https://www.physicianspractice.com/view/what-state-independent-medical-practice Accessed 2023–04–09

?2. Christopher Cheney | Health Leaders Media.https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/users/christopher-cheney?webSyncID=d8e8abee-aed6-ae05-c117-aac5a9199362&sessionGUID=7026d873-b139-ac65-8444-437c22323c47&page=31 Accessed 2023–04–09

?3. Value-based Healthcare: "Physician Activation": Healthcare Transformation Requires Physician Engagement and Leadership.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7170687/ Accessed 2023–04–09

?4. Helping Doctors Help Patients: The 6 Key Points of Physician Enablement.https://www.priviahealth.com/blog/helping-doctors-help-patients-the-6-key-points-of-physician-enablement/ Accessed 2023–04–09

?5. Solving physician burnout through patient engagement.https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/solving-physician-burnout-through-patient-engagement Accessed 2023–04–09

?6. A Review of Strategies to Manage Physician Burnout.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6682395/ Accessed 2023–04–09

?7. Physician Burnout: Solutions for Individuals and Organizations.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7929696/ Accessed 2023–04–09