Hospital-based physicians, physician employment, and other physician services, continue to be a source of much discussion in today’s healthcare news. As the debate and experimentation ensues, physician and medical staff rights, responsibilities, and medical necessity require second guessing. This has increasingly become evident with the rise of litigation and defensive medicine. However, there is now a more accelerated development, given the need for hospital and physician integration for the provision of a miriad of physician services.
This article by Amy Lynn Sorrel with Amednews lightly touches upon a few aspects of this new and ongoing discussion.
Hospital TeamCare is proud to launch its newest physician services – Hospital Medicine, and Pediatrics. These newphysician services will be offered throughout all existing US market areas. The physician service-line expansion is a natural progression from the existing hospital-based physician services of emergency medicine and anesthesia currently offered by Hospital TeamCare.
With the demand for hospital physicians rising, Hospital TeamCare strategically developed its service line to fulfill this growing market. Hospital executives understand the positive impact hospital-based physicians have on quality, efficiency, and outcomes. “Given all the change in healthcare delivery, hospitals are turning to those service providers that deliver exceptional patient care, quality oversight, and that are fiscally responsible,” says Dr. James McLean, Vice President of Hospital TeamCare West.
Built upon years of physician experience, leadership, and success, Hospital TeamCare’s Physician Specialty Vice Presidents lead each division. “Our specialty divisions are led by accomplished physician executives who still practice and lead on a daily basis,” says Dr. Paul Pugliese, Vice President of Hospital Medicine.
Their new video spot titled “Our Physicians, Your Success”, couples the announcement of Hospital TeamCare’s service line expansion while underscoring the Company’s purpose. Dr. McLean adds, “We are very proud of our new video production, as it truly defines our purpose, capacity, and commitment to each of our hospital partners.”
Experience the perfect balance of clinical excellence, with a physician staffing, and management company, who understands the business of hospital-based physicians. Our physicians, your success – request Hospital TeamCare today!
About Hospital TeamCare
Hospital TeamCare is a leading provider of quality hospital –based outsourced physician services. We offer physician outsourcing in emergency medicine, anesthesia, hospital medicine, pediatrics, radiology, and urgent care medicine. For more information about Hospital TeamCare, our hospital services, or healthcare solutions, visitTeamCare.com.
Originally cited from the works of Dr. Donald Berwick and the Institute of Medicine, 6 aims for health care improvement remain prudent today. The following are the Institute of Medicine’s six aims for health care improvement for both hospitals and all physician services:
Safe – Operational systems are in place; implement protocols
Effective – Evidence-based protocols are developed collaboratively with physician and nursing input.
Patient-centered – Care is delivered to the needs and values of the patient.
Timely – Protocols eliminate unnecessary waiting.
Efficient – Rapidly identifies AMI/ACS
Equitable – All patients receive the same evidence-based protocol.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s vision for healthcare adapted the IOM’s six improvement aims as follows:
No needless deaths
No needless pain or suffering
No helplessness in those served or serving
No unwanted waiting
No waste
No one left out
Although as administrator for CMS, Dr. Berwick’s statements and position were a subject of controversy, his original works, and those of his previous organization remain relatively undisputed. According to the 2011 edition of the National Scorecard on US Health system Performance, there continues to be substantial erosion in access to care, and rising costs. The US earned an overall score of 64 out of a possible 100 when comparing national averages with best practice performances benchmarks.
It’s clear that for physician services in today’s healthcare, we are still at the breaking point.
Hospital TeamCare, a leading provider of quality hospital-based outsourced physician services, introduces new video. The 60 second video captures the essence of physician services offered.
Experience the perfect balance of clinical excellence, with a physician staffing, and management company, who understands the business of hospital-based medicine. Our physicians, your success! Request Hospital TeamCare today! (800) 616-8236 www.TeamCare.com
It seems technology is advancing the lives of hospital physicians, allowing them to approach patient care more effectively and efficiently, while maximizing the capabilities of nurses.
“A Florida hospital has developed a system for wireless real-time monitoring and reprogramming of cardiac devices, including pacemakers and defibrillators, using an iPad. A doctor can suggest changes to a cardiac device’s settings, then relay the information for a nurse in the hospital to execute using a touch screen laptop,” as reported in “MobiHealthNews,” a publication that chronicles mobile technology trends within the healthcare sector.
The system, developed by E. Martin Kloosterman, MD, Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Chief of the Cardiology Department at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, enables hospital physicians to lay out instructions for nurses to follow, allowing them to adjust their patients’ cardiac device’s settings. This saves the physician time, and ultimately, the hospital money.
“The project came to mind several years ago,” said Dr. Kloosterman, in a press release. “First, the evolution of the electronic medical records disseminated computer terminals with internet connections in the medical work space allowing clinicians ready access to patient information.
“Then recently, the iPad emerged providing the ability to be online in seconds anytime, anywhere, allowing remote access to computer information. The combination of these two new innovations led me to the creation of the new technology: the remote-K-viewer. I designed and constructed a dedicated cart that hosts the programmer connected to a touch screen laptop with a wireless internet connection and a printer. The remote-K-viewer cart is mobile and designed to be used by nurses or non-specialized physicians with minimal training.”
‘Data already has been successfully reviewed internationally as well as during airplane flights,” according to “MobiHealthNews.”
This system will undoubtedly enhance the lives of hospital physicians as well as outsourced physicians who are placed in various hospitals; it will encourage medical staff to work together and create more of a team-orientated environment.
“We are excited [about] the possibilities that this application has to offer in regards to the development of a new generation of programmers and service models in the near future,” as stated by Dr. Kloosterman (in a press release).
With the New Year quickly approaching hospital physicians, as well as most folks working on the patient care side of the healthcare industry, are preparing for some significant changes.
“Physician News Digest” recently highlighted some areas in which change can be anticipated:
1. The ever-changing nature of medical practices will continue. “Many physicians are choosing hospital and group settings versus private practice due to the perceived security employed settings offer. Only one quarter of physicians surveyed said they plan to continue practicing as they are; half said they would adopt a style of practice different from the traditional full-time independent private practice model,” as reported in “Physician News Digest.”
2. The shortage of primary care physicians will continue. It is not breaking news that there is a serious shortage of primary care physicians in the United States. “Physicians News Digest” reported that “the majority of physicians (60 percent) said health reform will compel them to close or significantly limit their practices to certain categories of patients. Of these, 93 percent said they will close or significantly limit their practices to Medicaid patients and 87 percent said they would close or significantly restrict their practices to Medicare patients. In 2012, physicians will need to evaluate how they can optimize their time to accommodate the current and future needs of their patients.”
3. The physician’s impact on patients will continue. Many hospitals are looking at options, in terms of hiring physicians who are able to juggle medical services as well as administrative tasks. Many healthcare facilities are finding it in their best interest to partner with companies that specialize in outsourced physician services, as “increased reporting, problematic reimbursement and high potential liability, will place extraordinary stress on physicians,” as reported in “Physician News Digest.”
“Proposed changes to our healthcare system have already significantly impacted physicians and patients,” said Lou Goodman, President of The Physicians Foundation. “We hope the physician watch list helps to address the core issues under the new legislation and offers doctors and the healthcare community guidance on how to deliver the best care possible to patients in 2012.”
Earlier this week, the “Chicago Tribune” ran an informative healthcare feature that discussed the truth about second opinions in patient care.
Interestingly, many patients refrain from requesting second opinions, fearing they might insult primary care physicians. However, a study had found the opposite to be true; most physician service professionals encourage them.
Below are some facts about second opinions, as noted in a section of the article called ‘Five things to know about second opinions.’ It provides primary care physicians, hospital physicians, outsourced physicians as well as patients some valuable insight on this matter.
1. Second opinions are not as common as people think. “A 2010 poll showed that 70 percent of Americans don’t feel compelled to seek a second opinion or do additional research, despite the abundance of medical information at people’s fingertips. Furthermore, the confidence factor cuts across patients’ educational levels,” according to the “Chicago Tribune.”
2. Physicians normally do not get offended when patients request second opinions. “If you have a doctor who would be offended by a second opinion, he or she is probably not the right doctor for you,” said Dr. Gregory Abel, a specialist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
3. Patients should discuss what matters to them with their physicians. The article stated that “in a study published in Health Expectations in 2010, investigators asked a group of patients and providers to rate facts and goals around treatment choices for early-stage breast cancer and found several areas of disagreement.” When patients have questions, physicians can provide answers.
4. Patients do not need to conceal the first opinion, as found in the results of a study. Results also concluded that “physicians, ethicists and patient advocates recommend erring on the side of open communication.”
5. Prior to second opinion appointments, patients should contact that provider’s office to find out whether the second opinion physician needs anything from the diagnosing physician.
In conclusion, requesting second opinions should not make patients feel awkward; most physicians just want the people they treat to do what makes them feel comfortable.
Let’s face it – healthcare reform is bittersweet for physicians and hospitals alike.
Private practice physicians have expressed that their frustrations stem from feeling like the healthcare reform has backed them in to a corner, while hospitals struggle to determine whether to fill their institutions’ physician employment opportunities with in-house resources or with the help of companies that specialize in outsourced physician services and physician staffing.
However, for at least one group of individuals, healthcare reform is welcomed; students enrolled at Belmont High School in suburban Los Angeles are a testament of such groups, in which it positive impacts are plentiful in terms of patient care. Without funding from the healthcare reform, improvements and additions of school-based health centers would not be possible at this time.
BHS, like scores of other educational institutions in America, joined the network of school-based health centers. These facilities provide free or reduced-rate physician services for students as well as their families, as reported in the health section of last Sunday’s “Los Angeles Times.”
Because the healthcare reform law donated fiscal boosts directly to support this cause, successful efforts to promote medical safety in schools are currently underway.
The “Los Angeles Times” noted that the healthcare reform law allocated “$200 million nationwide for school health centers and California won $14 million in grants to open new clinics and expand existing ones. Los Angeles County received about $4.3 million of that funding.”
The California School Health Centers Association found that in 2004 there were 121 school health centers in California. In just seven years, that number climbed to 183, with 12 more school-based health centers scheduled to open next year. Centers are typically located in low-income communities with most, doctors and nurse practitioners treat illness and injury in patients.
With so much negative talk on healthcare reform, it is refreshing to hear that it brought about something so positive.
While a notable number of professionals practicing physician services continue to make that significant switch that takes them from private practices to larger hospitals and healthcare systems, industry stakeholders, policy makers, health systems, and even patient advocates must also prepare for significant changes.
“As physicians migrate from private practice to larger health systems, the new landscape will require healthcare IT, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and payers to revise their business models and offerings. At the same time, hospitals will need to determine how to retain and recruit the correct mix of physicians, especially in high-growth service lines, including cardiovascular care, orthopedics, cancer care and radiology,” according to several top sources for healthcare-related news.
As large hospitals, nationwide, continue to fill physician employment opportunities at a steady rate, the bulk of those physicians had previously operated out of private practices. This is a trend that began with the onset of the healthcare overhaul, and since then, has stuck.
“Health reform is challenging the entire system to deliver improved care through insight driven health,” said Kristin Ficery, senior executive, Accenture Health. “We see an increasing number of physicians leaving private practice to join hospital systems, which will force all stakeholders to revise and refine their business models, product offerings and service strategies.”
In a recent survey conducted by Accenture, numerous changes for physicians as well as many other players are expected to occur, as a direct result of doctors migrating in to hospital employee-roles.
Areas that will likely experience change include “hospitals enhancing expertise and boosting patient volumes and revenues in high-growth service lines; organizations serving diverse markets shifting sales force structure from national to regional; payers seeing greater negotiating leverage (which must be factored in to future business strategies, as physicians increasingly associate with larger groups and healthcare systems); and companies experiencing greater difficulties when trying to reach the physician market,” as reported by Accenture.
Physicians understand that drug-resistant bacteria cannot be remedied by antibiotics, yet the number of patients mistreated with antibiotics in America is increasing so quickly that federal officials have designed two programs to help correct the problem.
The programs, put in to place by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are two-fold. The first initiative electronically tracks antibiotic use at 70 different hospitals. The second effort focuses on practical strategies to ensure antibiotics are given in a timely and appropriate manner. This will involve a total of eight hospitals.
“Antibiotic resistance is a patient care problem that has impacted people on a global level, with at least 50 percent of antibiotic use in American hospitals being labeled as inappropriate,” as reported in “The Washington Post.”
The Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy had found that hospitals that show highest antibiotic use are West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama. The nonprofit organization gathered results from data provided by a consulting firm that tracks pharmaceutical sales.
Stronger doses of antibiotics are generally used in hospital settings versus physicians’ offices. Dispensing medicines with higher potency enables hospital physicians and outsourced physicians, especially those treating patients in emergency rooms, to more effectively cure the wide range of infections in patients.
“Unlike drugs prescribed in doctors’ offices, antibiotics given in hospitals are generally stronger, ‘cover more bugs’ and, as a result, raise more concerns about resistance,” said Sara Cosgrove, an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Another setback when patients misuse antibiotics, or use them too often, is that potentially treatable illnesses become more difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to fight.
“What we know from study after study is that antibiotics are given when they are not needed, or given for too long, or in the wrong dose,” said Arjun Srinivasan, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
January 28, 2012
0 Comments