Stanford used AI and other methods to examine whether EMR (Electronic Medical Record) activity can be used to identify levels of burnout or fatigue in physicians. The short answer was "yes," with two leading indicators:
1. The number of automated inbox messages the physician receives in the EMR.
2. When team members write all or part of the medical notes in the EMR.
In case #1, we’d argue this is an indicator of probable useless queries or processes, if not outright patient overload. The EMR often makes it far too easy to offload tasks from one person’s desk onto someone else’s. In case #2, the physician still has to review the notes (as the article points out). The study also identified some interesting organization-wide indicators.
A Peek Inside Doctors’ Notes Reveals Symptoms of Burnout - Stanford
Vox articles are not known for their even-handed treatment or calm prose. Bear that in mind when reading. This is a very long article about private equity, emergency room staffing and billing, and the failures of the No Surprises Act. At its heart, the article is one of the sides of the public utility versus paid commodity argument in healthcare, though it never goes into that depth on the topic. The article doesn’t talk at all about the changes wrought by first the ACA, as private practices disappeared, and then COVID-19, when admissions privileges disappeared, and how the ER has turned into the admissions department in most places. But well-written take nonetheless. How Private Equity Chewed Through America’s Emergency Rooms - Vox (requires free membership)As Year-End Deadline Looms, Congress Again Calls on DEA to Extend Telehealth FlexibilitiesEveryone is still arguing about which prescription services will be covered and which prescription medications will be included or excluded. Congress, HHS, and the industry were unhappy with an unofficial DEA proposal to create a registry system for telemedicine prescription-writing. The DEA, in turn, is concerned about the demonstrated potential for pill mills. They’ll probably extend the deadline, as no one seems close to agreeing on how to regulate telemedicine. As Year-End Deadline Looms, Congress Again Calls on DEA to Extend Telehealth Flexibilities - Healthcare IT NewsYes, that Chuck Norris. He frequently writes about particular topics, and one recurring theme is the mental stress faced by healthcare workers—clinicians in particular—and the lack of mental health care available to those in such high-pressure roles. Being a clinician can be one of the most stressful jobs there is. Lack of peer support, working with severely ill patients where outcomes can’t be changed, and heavy, constant workloads are just some of the factors contributing to stress. Add to that payment mechanisms and employment contracts that increasingly treat clinicians as replaceable cogs, and you have a bad situation. |