EHRs Eat Up Half of Doctors’ Workday with Unpaid Labor

Doctors are reimbursed for office visits, lab work, and medical procedures but not for desktop tasks.

from Healthcare Finance

Doctors spend about half of their EHR time during patient encounters, according to new findings published in Health Affairs. The other half is consumed by desktop medicine tasks for which they do not get reimbursed.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

This Doctor Beat Burnout by Doing These 5 Things

Some tactics were deliberate, mindful behaviors, some occurred by accident, and some started with a different goal.

from KevinMD

Burnout syndrome is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. I burned out early. Right out of fellowship, I no longer wanted to be a doctor. The grueling hours, my grumpy co-workers, and distant patient engagements left me totally exhausted. However, over the course of a year, I was able to rediscover my passion for medicine.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Digital Apps for Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics

Emergency medicine and pediatrics are two areas where an array of apps help physicians do their jobs.

from HealthcareDive

Doctors across the hospital spectrum are using digital tools to support clinical decision-making, increase patient engagement and improve quality of care. More than half (51%) of recently interviewed healthcare professionals are using an app at the point of care, according to a new KLAS Research report.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Generational Divides Influence Doctor-Patient Relationships, Patient Engagement

Millennials are more open, accepting of doctors authority; GenXers mistrustful and somewhat disengaged; Baby boomers the least healthy, study says.

from Healthcare Finance

From millennials to baby boomers, attitudes about healthcare seem to hinge on what generation you claim as your own, according to a new Vitals Index study. The age-specific perspectives range from the doctor-patient relationship to the overall healthcare system.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

10 Things to Consider About Going Part Time

A healthcare couple who made the break from full-time work shares 10 lessons they learned along the way.

from AMA

Physicians have no trouble citing compelling reasons to reduce their work hours—stress, bureaucracy and the feeling of missing out on one’s personal life, to name a few. But they can also face high hurdles to making the switch to a lighter workload, including medical school debt, career aspirations and pressure from employers. A healthcare couple who made the break from full-time work shares 10 lessons they learned along the way.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Three-Part Patient Satisfaction Tool for Hospitalists

A short and simple way to improve your patient satisfaction scores in the hospital.

by Rajil M. Karnani, MD, MSPA

About three years ago, our hospital was abuzz about patient satisfaction. Our HCAHPS scores were lower than expected, and there was a push by the administration to improve them. As a hospitalist, I wondered to myself, what could I possibly do to improve my ratings? I already believed I was doing a very good job communicating effectively with patients.

Many years ago, I developed the habit at the end of each encounter of always asking patients, “What questions do you have for me?” Much to my dismay, their answers were rarely focused on their health or why they were in the hospital. Instead, they frequently seemed to revolve around things such as an upcoming imaging or blood test, their first meal, and most often, when they could finally go home. That got me thinking. If these are the questions and issues patients really care about, why not anticipate these questions and issues by initiating that conversation with patients before they bring it up with the doctor? I began to do just that. As a result, I developed my own three-part tool that I would use to conclude each patient encounter. The entire process would typically take only about 60 seconds, and if one of the steps didn’t apply to the patient, I would simply skip it and proceed to the next step. Here is my three-part tool, utilizing these common patient questions as a trigger to initiate the conversation:

  1. When can I eat? – If the patient was not on a full diet, I would tell the patient why they were not being allowed to eat and then tell them when they could expect to return to a regular diet. Often, it was because the patient was NPO in anticipation of an upcoming test like an endoscopy or cardiac catheterization, which made a nice segue into the next question.
  2. When is my test? – If the patient was waiting for an important test for which the result could alter their hospital stay or treatment plan, such as an MRI or blood culture, I would tell them when the test was tentatively scheduled and approximately how long it would take to get the results. I would then tell them what the likely decision would be based on the potential results. Finally, I would mention that it is entirely possible that a test could be postponed because of another patient’s emergency need for the same test, but that every effort was being made to get the test done on schedule.
  3. When can I go home? – Based on the patient’s admitting diagnosis, I would provide the best updated estimate of their hospital length-of-stay, typically a range such as two-to-three days or at least one more day. I would also mention why it would take that long, as well as the fact that this was an estimate and it could change based on the patient’s condition or availability of resources.

After addressing these three questions, I would end by asking my usual question, “What questions do you have?” After doing this three-step process numerous times over many months, I noticed something surprising. Many patients would respond to my usual ending question with, “Nothing, doctor, you’ve answered all of my questions.” At that point, I realized I was onto something. By addressing some of the most common concerns of patients without having to be prompted, I was demonstrating to them that I might be understanding their most important and immediate concerns. Moreover, I noticed the tone of these patients tended to be relatively pleasant and calm, which made my job easier. A few months later, when I received my next patient satisfaction scorecard from the hospital, I was in the top 25% of my practice group, up from my previous report. My partners noticed my score, and I shared with them what I was doing. After initiating my process, their anecdotes revealed much of the same results that I had discovered.

If you are looking for a way to improve your patient satisfaction scores in the hospital, especially something that is short and simple to implement, don’t feel like you need to reinvent the wheel. I would simply recommend preempting patient questions and concerns by addressing these three common patient issues when staying in the hospital. Who knows, you might be surprised by how many patients say to you in a heartening way, “Nothing, doctor, you’ve answered all of my questions.”


Dr. Karnani is a subject matter expert in predictive analytics in healthcare, as well as a physician with a medical foundation in academic medicine. He provides a strong skill set in Analytical and Statistical Decision Making, Project Development & Management, and Education & Training. His focus is working with healthcare data to gain actionable insights in the areas of population health management, value-based care, and patient experience.

Dr. Karnani can be reached via email at rajilkarnani@yahoo.com or on LinkedIn here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Best Tips to Help Avoid Negative Physical Reactions in Patients

Here are a few quick reminders on how to make things go as smoothly as possible for your patients and yourself.

by Hannah Whittenly

There’s no doubt that having patients put their trust in you in a very big responsibility. In every step of the medical process, you pretty much have their life in your hands. One of the worst things that could happen is a patient experiencing some type of negative physical reaction, which might undoubtedly lead a patient to blame you. The following are just some tips that may help reduce the chances of this happening.

Preventing Allergic Reactions

One common negative reaction amongst patients is an allergic reaction. This usually happens due to miscommunication and failing to record negative allergic reactions. The best thing to do is to tighten up how you record negative drug reactions. This can be done by having your staff repeatedly check on every patient to make sure records are accurate.

You can download an algorithm software to help you match the patient with an allergy. This should be updated with every visit by your staff. The patient might get annoyed that you consistently asked about this information, but explain that this is done to increase safety.

Keep Patients Calm

We all know that going to a doctor’s office can sometimes be disconcerting for a patient, especially if he or she is receiving bad news. This is one reason why panic attacks amongst patients is common. The key is to break news in a way that is as reassuring as possible.

Some clinicians may need to go over the six step process they learned while training to break news as effectively as possible. First, you must set up a meeting in a private setting—such as an office or by closing the curtains. Be prepared to answer any questions, and it is important to be honest with the patient. Establish eye contact to let the patient feel like he or she is not alone. Of course, this is just one of the six steps.

Take Contamination Precautions

Contamination could lead to infections and further complications, so do your best to ensure that all equipment is properly disinfected. This is something that all assistants and associates must do as well.

Now, this is just one way to prevent contamination, but there are others. During surgery, for example, you should make sure to use a smoke evacuator tool that helps remove smoke that is produced from the other tools that are used. It not only prevents contamination but ensures highest visibility standards.

Prevent Outbursts

If your patient is going through something that is life-altering, then he or she has every right to be angry and upset. However, such feelings can lead to more than just tears; they can lead to physical reactions. Make sure that you’re always reading the body language of your patient. If they seem to be getting aggressive, step back and give them their space. Perhaps give them some time to cool down so that they can think things over. It may even be wise to have a psychologist come and help talk them through their feelings.

Whatever you do, it’s important to keep the patient from resorting into physical outbursts. These can be harmful to you, your staff, and your patient.

These are just a few suggestions that may help keep your patients safe. Keep in mind that the key to most of these is open dialogue and communication. In essence, try to put yourself in the patient’s shoes, and do your best to provide the kind of service that you would expect should you be a patient because that is how your patients want to be treated.


Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake. For your smoke evacuator needs, Hannah recommends Megadyne.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Hybrid Models Give Concierge Medicine a Boost for Physicians, Patients

Doctors are taking on some concierge clients and maintaining other clients who access their care through traditional insurance.

from Healthcare Finance

Increasing physician burnout led by reporting requirements and the need to increase care volume to meet financial needs has more doctors thinking about embracing a concierge medicine model to ease those burdens.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Top Hospitals Promote Unproven Therapies

Is medicine with a side of mysticism still medicine? Hospitals affiliated with Yale, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and others seem to think so.

from STAT

Modern medicine clearly can’t cure everyone. It fails a great many patients. So why not encourage them to try an ancient Indian remedy or a spiritual healing technique that’s unlikely to cause harm—and may provide some relief, if only from the placebo effect?

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Female Docs Don’t Give Grand Rounds as Often as Men

The grand rounds podium is a coveted perch in medicine, a place where clinical leaders showcase their expertise—it’s also one women don’t reach as often as men.

from STAT

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday found that women are underrepresented as grand rounds lecturers in a wide range of clinical specialties. In a nationwide sample of medical schools and academic hospitals, a median of 26 percent of speakers were women. Meanwhile, women comprise 47 percent of medical students, 46 percent of residents, and 36 percent of faculty in the US.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.