Page 26 - BCMS ONline directory

OPINION

THE DOCTOR

SHORTAGE

By Herbert P. Brown, MD

Have you tried to consult a physician for your own medical needs lately?
First, you find that it takes several more phone calls than you first thought.
Second, unless the problem is obvious the actual number of primary care physicians
has dwindled so it may take you awhile to find help.

Recently, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Medical So- 3. Provide scribes so busy physicians can devote more time to di-
ciety and Harvard School of Public Health did a survey of physician rect patient care. If the Electronic Health Record is mandatory,
availability in New England resulting in a white paper that generated minimize and reduce its check off level.
quite a bit of interest in the New England area and even nearby 4. Improve compensation for primary care physicians for time and
Canada. They found that the actual number of primary care physi- services spent. Present level is pitiful.
cians has dwindled so much so that there is a public health crisis as 5. If you have the means, employ a concierge physician. This, of
a result. The cause, physician burnout (much to their and the pub- course, does not solve the larger problem which still merits our
lic’s surprise, but not ours because it hurts patients). attention.
6. Consider physician wellness programs as integral to the clinical
Our sister society, the Mass Medical Society, decided programs.
that some interventions were needed urgently:
Those of us who enjoy the practice of medicine should not be
They determined that outside intervention was needed. discouraged for the sake of corporate benefit. We can and must
1. That key stakeholders be identified and moreover, they be made fight back for our own as well as our patient’s sake.
aware of their responsibilities, e.g. health insurers.
2. Impress upon governmental agencies that physician’s time spent Dr. Herbert Brown is a retired physician and a member of the Bexar
on extensive documentation does not directly improve patient County Medical Society.
care.

26 San Antonio Medicine • July 2019