Posted by: AtlasMD

November 19, 2014

What Really Happens When You Cut the Red Tape?

Dr. Michael D. Shaw takes us to the heart of what Direct Primary Care is all about in his recent contribution to HealthNewsDigest.com.

“The doctor/patient relationship has deteriorated precisely because the patient is no longer the client.”

The moment physicians are forced to turn their attention from a patient, hold up one finger as if to say, “Hold on.” and become engaged elsewhere is the very moment the doctor patient relationship begins to break down. It’s all traced back to the fact that physicians must see so many patients in such a short amount of time… and are therefore forced to spend on average a mere 7 minutes with them during the appointment.

Third parties. Insurance. Bureaucracy. Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 19, 2014

Stephen Schimpff Wants To Spend More Than 10 Minutes With His Patients

You call for an appointment and are told it will be about 20 days.

You arrive on time only to sit in the apt named waiting room for 40 minutes.

You see your primary care doctor (PCP).

You start to explain why you came in.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 5, 2014

The Immeasurable Value Of Direct Care — Time To Listen

excerpt_cocksedge

– Stephen Cocksedge, Listening as Work in Primary Care

That’s worth repeating: 85% of diagnoses can be made just by listening to the patient.

It’s clear cut: When doctors do not have enough time to listen the result is that they do not listen.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

December 16, 2013

The Doctor Will See You All Now

We thought Time was kidding when they wrote about something called “shared medical appointments, or group visits.” But no, evidently this group therapy approach to medical care is gaining popularity. Could it be a more satisfying way to see your doctor? It’s too early to tell, but either way, we’re excited here at Atlas MD. Security issues aside, we’re behind any movement that puts the patients in the driver seat. As is the case here when we Tweet with clients, the patients have to provide authorization and be comfortable talking about themselves in front of other people.

You might be thinking, this is ludicrous. But when it comes to diabetics, it makes perfect sense. Taking care of that condition is a full-time job, and as much as family, friends, and even docs, can empathize, there’s no replacement for people who’ve gone through the same ordeal you have.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

September 30, 2013

EHR Study Finds Emergency Docs Click 4,000 Times In A 10-Hour Shift

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine conducted research and found that emergency doctors “spend significantly more time entering data into electronic health records than they do with patients.” The study concluded that “improved efficiency in data entry would allow emergency physicians to devote more time to patient care…”

According to the published paper, emergency physicians spent 43 percent of their time entering data on a given day. Only 28 percent of their time was spent directly interacting with patients. And, during a busy, 10-hour shift, total mouse clicks neared 4,000.

Here’s what the paper’s author, Robert Hill, M.D. from St. Luke’s University Health Network in Allentown, Pa., had to say:

“Emergency department physicians spend significantly more time entering data into electronic medical records than on any other activity, including direct patient care.”

He lists out factors that get in the way of efficient EHR usage, including operating system speed, server/mainframe responsiveness, typing skills, user-friendliness of system, interruptions, extent of training, opportunity to delegate tasks, and various environmental attributes. However, in his opinion, “Efficient use of the EMR system will increase physician productivity and hospital revenue.” We couldn’t agree more. If you agree with his thinking, too, you can tweet it right now.

READ FIERCE EMR’S COVERAGE OF THE STUDY HERE