Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1535653
11 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP What would fix the physician experience? 15 leaders weigh in By Patsy Newitt W hat would make physicians' daily lives better? Becker's asked 15 physicians for one change, big or small, that would make the biggest impact on their workday. Editor's note: ese responses have been edited lightly for clarity and length. Benjamin Cooper, DO. Resident Physician at Mercy Hospital (New York City): One meaningful improvement would be integrating business and legal education into medical training. Physicians graduate knowing how to perform physical exams and write notes — but most don't know how to read a contract, set up a practice or even how billing and reimbursement work. Topics like CPT coding, RVUs, superbills, malpractice insurance, Stark law and the Anti-Kickback Statute are essential to practice safely and sustainably, yet they're oen le out of the curriculum. Some of this I've had to learn the hard way, and some I've been fortunate to study through my MBA. I'm currently finishing a dual Executive MBA and MS in Healthcare Leadership at Cornell University. at education has helped fill in the gaps — but I wish I'd had access to that knowledge much earlier in my training. If we want to empower physicians to thrive, not just clinically, but professionally, this kind of education shouldn't be optional. It should be standard. Gregory Chow, MD. Physician at Hawaii Pacific Health (Aiea): Less influence from insurance companies with regard to prior authorization would greatly improve my work life. Daniel Crane, MD. Vice President of Clinical Hospital Operations at Community Health Systems (Hattiesburg, Miss.): I believe the upcoming changes in ambient AI and improved documentation flows will positively impact physician satisfaction, reduce the burden of charting and improve accuracy. Allowing physicians more time to focus on patient care will be a huge improvement in the day to day experience. Edward Gold, MD. Internal Medicine Physician at Hackensack Meridian Health (Emerson, N.J.): e use of ambient AI in creating notes has been the biggest improvement in my personal day they experience. Steven Golombek, MD. Internal Medicine Physician at Atlantic Health System (Dover, N.J.): e obvious big issues are insurance hassles, legal concerns and difficult-to-please patients. However, I think one minor change that I could make would be to carve out time each day and identify one patient that I could really sit with and just get to know, without the pressure of rushing to see the next patient. Harry Haus, MD. Medical Director of Dr. Haus & Associates (Erie, Pa.): Physician practices should not be owned by for profits or nonprofits, hospitals or insurance companies. When that happens, the physician becomes an employee and must obey the company rules. e doctor then cannot add a sick person on the schedule during lunch or at the end of the day since this is outside the scheduled hours. Weekend and evening office hours disappear. You can not talk to the doctor, and if you call at night a machine says just go to the ER. is is one reason the ERs are overcrowded. Also, the doctor who knows you and could help you never gets the chance to help. e person goes to the ER or urgent care. is creates a large big bill that never occurred 25 years ago. Doctors used to help patients get care that was affordable. Today, corporate medicine is all about making everything more expensive. One example is a facility fee charge at the office of the PCP if it is a hospital-owned practice. Another, is your surgeon does not even write for your medicines. A PA or another doctor is consulted for that. When the CEO makes over $11 million a year it is just about money. is leads to burnout and early retirement of doctors. Baha El Khatib, MD. Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Vitreo-Retinal Consultants (Cleveland, Ohio): One of the most frustrating aspects of practicing medicine today is how much control insurance companies have over the care we can provide. As physicians, we spend an enormous amount of time navigating prior authorizations and step therapy requirements just to prescribe the medications or recommend the surgeries we know are best for our patients. Image Credit: Adobe Stock