The PMD Critical List: Doctors Face Discrimination, Too

Physicians aren’t exempt from patients’ prejudice, but there are ways to handle those tough situations. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also making the list: Many well-known hospitals fail to report medical device problems, how the Affordable Care Act is changing lives for patients and physicians, and a little good news for doctors when it comes to malpractice premiums.

• Helping Doctors Deal with Discrimination (US News & World Report)

It’s a matter that’s brought national attention: how should doctors and their institutions deal with patients' prejudice? Recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges “…call for trainees to focus on their role as doctors by not taking hostile comments personally and meeting patients' anxieties with empathy.”

• Big Bucks for Physicians on Corporate Boards (Boston Business Journal)

“Among those doctors, Massachusetts General Hospital's infectious disease and transplant specialist Dr. Nesli Basgoz reported $809,339 in 2015 from cash and in-kind compensation from Actavis—which was acquired by Allergan in early 2015 and where Basgoz has held a board position since 2014.” And others.

• 86% of Physicians Still Get “Fee-for-Service” Pay (Becker’s Hospital Review)

Deloitte's "2016 Survey of US Physicians" showed a vast majority of physicians are still reimbursed under a fee-for-service model, rather than a value-based care system in which providers are paid based on outcomes.

• Hospitals Fail to Report Medical Devices Problems (NPR.org)

“After several prominent safety problems with medical devices in hospitals, the FDA inspected 17 hospitals nationwide to assess compliance with reporting regulations. About two-thirds, including well-known medical centers in Los Angeles, Boston and New York, failed to promptly report patient deaths or injuries linked to medical devices.”

• 25 Best Places to Retire (Forbes)

For those doctors who will get there, for those who hope to get there, and for those who will never get there, but believe it’s okay to dream: “Retirement is a new phase of life, and, for many, a chance to consider new surroundings. Here’s a new list of 25 top US cities for retirement.” #1: Abilene, TX.

• Doctors Cut Costs by Knowing Their Patients (MarketPlace.com)

An interesting report on how healthcare, in the wake of the Affordable Care Act, is changing the lives of patients and doctors. “In the past six years, we’ve seen the rise of Accountable Care Organizations, now numbering more than 800, where doctors or hospitals work together to streamline care.”

• Dental Screening by PCPs Helps Children (Healio)

“Identifying children at high risk for dental caries in a primary health care setting prevents the development of caries in early childhood, while creating more accessible and cost-effective oral health care, according to data presented at the 2016 AAP National Conference and Exhibition.”

• What Doctors Know About the Obamacare Crisis (Fox News)

A hard-hitting essay from an in-the-know NYC doctor. ObamaCare is “a failed Ponzi scheme,” says Dr. Marc Siegel. “The heart of the problem with the heavily subsidized, unwieldy plan is found in the doctor’s office. You come in demanding care, and we clog up the whole health care system when we dispense it.”

• Today’s Doctoring: More Office Work, Fewer Patients (American Academy of Pediatrics)

According to findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine, “…physicians spent 27% of their day with patients and 49% of their time on EMRs and desk work. And even while in the exam room, there was office work to be done. Researchers found 53% of this time was considered “direct clinical face time” while 37% was desk work.”

• Doctor Malpractice Premiums Remain Flat (Forbes)

What, good news for doctors? “Medical malpractice premiums remain flat as they have for years now, with rates ‘experiencing only a very slight (0.1%) cumulative decrease from last year across the industry,’ according to the 2016 Medical Liability Monitor Annual Rate Survey.

• Does Quality Equate With Success for Physicians? (MedPageToday)

The difficulty in defining a quality physician: “Quality requires continuous monitoring and feedback, implementing expert physician and scientist-developed standards, fully integrated by robust real-time top-to-bottom information systems, available in every exam room and at every bedside for every patient. It is hard, complex work and for many physicians and patients a threatening revolution.”