RSS FeedDoctors “Redefine Healthcare” One Practice At A Time
8 March 2010With the future of health reform uncertain and mired in conflict and controversy, and healthcare costs continuing to rise at a rate outpacing inflation, innovative practice trends are making headlines everywhere. Primary care physicians especially are seeking creative new ways to balance quality and quantity of care with quality of life, and costs of doing business, as they are faced with a healthcare system that increasingly squeezes them, and their patients, from all angles.
One trend is the development of what some call “patient centered” practices – a movement whereby physicians cut down their patient load, enabling doctors to spend more time with patients to prevent costly emergencies or critical medical issues which ultimately saves everyone time and money. Additionally, these patient-centered physicians take a more personalized approach, providing their cell numbers to patients and even making housecalls to the elderly and infirm. This movement is highlighted in a New York Times article from a few months ago.
Another trend is among new primary care physicians, according to Kevin Pho, aka blogging PCP KevinMD, who notes that many primary care doctors coming out of training are establishing “cash only” practices. This enables physicians and patients to maintain more control of their healthcare as opposed to being dictated and mandated by the insurance companies. More on this trend can be found on a blog called Ideal Medical Practices, which calls this trend a “game-changing move”, that “breaks the stalemate of the current system.”
Yet a third trend is explored in a recent Modern Healthcare report entitled “A New Practice Routine.” This article (reg. req’d) looks into the growing number of private practices that are selling out to hospitals or larger systems, thereby increasing their access to capital and also alleviating some of the practice management and administrative hassles of medicine. This trend is popular among specialists in addition to primary care physicians.
These are just a few of the stories of emerging practice trends that have grown as physicians and patients adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment. Surely, the practice environments will continue to change, particularly if, or when, health reform is passed and implemented, and as EMR use grows, and new technologies develop.
More from DocHunterDiary:
- Top 8 Physician Recruiting Trends of The Decade
- What if Half of All Physicians Quit Medicine? (Physician Health Reform Survey)
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