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Only one physician in ten believes that health reform will enhance the quality of care they are able to provide to their patients, according to the Physicians Foundation in a new report.

The need to provide higher quality in an environment characterized by increased reporting, problematic reimbursement and high potential liability, will place extraordinary stress on physicians, particularly those in private practice, says the report, which identifies five key areas that will impact the practice of medicine in the year ahead.

In addition to diminished patient care, the four other trends cited in the report include the following:

• Changing nature of medical practices. One-half of physicians surveyed said they would adopt a style of practice different from the traditional full-time independent private practice model. Many physicians said they will choose hospital and group settings over private practices due to the perceived security these larger settings offer them, with only one-fourth saying they planned to continue practicing as they were. In 2012, physicians will need to carefully assess their individual circumstances and determine what kind of practice best meets their own needs and those of their patients, researchers say.
• Decreased return on increased burden. Sixty-three percent of physicians surveyed said that non-clinical paperwork has caused them to spend less time with their patients and 94 percent said time they devote to non-clinical paperwork in the last three years has increased. The added regulations and administrative responsibilities from the PPACA have caused physicians to focus less on the patient and more on administrating their practices. In 2012, physicians will need to monitor their administrative burdens and minimize any further impact on their relationship with patients, researchers note.
• Acute shortages of primary care physicians. Sixty percent of physicians said health reform will force them to close or significantly limit their practices to certain categories of patients. Of this group, 93 percent said they will close or significantly limit their practices to Medicaid patients and 87 percent said they would close or significantly restrict their practices to Medicare patients. A growing shortage of physicians threatens the medical profession’s ability to serve patients across key specialties and geographies. In 2012, physicians will need to redefine their roles and rethink delivery models in order to meet rising demand, researchers say.
• Critical need for physician leadership tools / skills. Given the changing landscape of healthcare, physicians will have to assume greater business and people management responsibilities within practice groups and hospital settings. In 2012, physicians will need to acquire new types of non-medical leadership skills to be effective in these expanded roles, while still maintaining their trusted relationships with patients, the report says.

The Physicians Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance the work of practicing physicians and improve the quality of healthcare. This report is based on research they released earlier this year, including the 2010 Health Reform Research Study and 2011 Roadmap for Physicians to Healthcare Reform Paper.

Source: The Physicians Foundation, December 6, 2011