The PMD Critical List: Patient Satisfaction Reaches Record High

A vast majority of Americans say they’re satisfied by their physician visits — an approval rating that would make candidates in Monday’s Iowa caucuses drool. That story tops this week’s PMD Critical List. Also on the list: Zeroing in on malpractice-prone physicians, and why are doctors’ office run so badly?

• Satisfaction with Doctor Visits on the Rise (Harris Poll)

More Americans than ever (88%) say they are satisfied with their visits to physicians, according to a new Harris Poll. The factors most likely to influence patient approval were the doctor's overall knowledge, training, and expertise. And satisfaction appears to rise with age.

• America’s Best Jobs for 2016 (US News & World Report)

This year's best jobs have “great growth potential, solid work-life balance, high wages and low unemployment.” And it’s all about healthcare professionals. Among the nation’s 10 top-rated jobs for 2016, nine are in the health field including several physician specialties.

• Many Malpractice Claims Involve Few Doctors (CBS)

A troubling New England Journal of Medicine report finds that only 1% of active US physicians are responsible for 32% of the nation's paid medical malpractice suits. Is it “possible to identify ‘claim-prone’ physicians and intervene before”?

• NFL Players Don't Trust Team Doctors (AP)

With pro football’s ultimate game set for this weekend, a new poll of players reveals serious health concerns. Most players “think the league’s clubs, coaches, and team doctors don’t have the athletes’ best interests at heart when it comes to health and safety.”

• Why Are Doctors’ Offices Run Badly? (Slate)

“Doctors do very, very well independently, but we don’t know how to engage the people around us. We don’t know how to delegate, we don’t know how to empower, and we don’t know how to add value to others.” Why don’t they teach this in medical school?

• Doctors Rank Hospital Food (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

A new report reveals the most hazardous hospital food environments in the United States as well as hospitals that provide healthful meals that can prevent and even reverse chronic disease. Hospitals that are fast food free and instead have rooftop gardens earn the highest scores.

• What Would Single-Payer Mean for Doctors? (MedPageToday)

The idea of a single-payer healthcare system has come back into prominence lately with 2016 presidential race in full gear. This essay offer some perspective. “If you could change the system so doctors could practice medicine and spend time with their patients, I think that's really what they want.”

• Drug Shortages May Challenge Doctor’s Ethics (PBS Newshour)

“Shortages of some prescription drugs are forcing doctors to make difficult decisions, in some cases choosing one patient over another, or sharing a dose between multiple patients. A Q&A with Sheri Fink, a New York Times reporter and physician, addresses how doctors and their patients are coping with the rationing affecting all types of hospitals, clinics, and broad range of medical specialties.

• What Doctors Can Learn From Farmers (US News & World Report)

A small but growing number of independent farms are managing to reach sustainability through unique offerings and new customers. Independent medical practices must seek to find similar niches in order to stand out.

• US Health Spending Tops $3 Trillion (Fox News)

“So much for Obamacare controlling medical costs. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services report on trends in spending, national health-related spending topped the $3 trillion mark in 2014. This equates to $9,500 for every man, woman and child in America.”

• For Doctors Humanism Goes a Long Way (NJ.com)

A report about an innovative program in New Jersey that trains medical students on how to best deliver bad news. "In the end, it's about a doctor and a patient and what happens between them at critical moments—interactions that, if handled correctly, can truly improve the outcome for both parties.”