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Challenges Facing Primary Care Physicians
Primary care physicians are the doctors we see most often. Yet they face a variety of challenges every day. A recent Epocrates survey revealed that their greatest challenge currently facing their practice is reimbursement, followed by administrative burdens and high operational costs. More than half of respondents reported that they've considered early retirement due to stress, work/life balance, increased costs and liability concerns.
Find out what physicians in the family practice/internal medicine specialties have to say about topics such as running a practice, the healthcare landscape and career choice.Stress May Be Making You Ill
Feeling tired or not sleeping through the night? It might be stress and it could be making you sick according to nearly 500 doctors who participated in a survey by medical software developer Epocrates, Inc. Survey participants identified restless nights and fatigue as the two most common symptoms of stress.
Dying to be Thin: Eating Disorders in America
More than 75% of psychiatrists believe societal pressures to be thin have increased the prevalence of eating disorders among pre-teens and homosexual men. Psychiatrists also identify thin celebrities, increased awareness of treatment options and fear of becoming obese as factors contributing to the disorder.
Pediatricians Concerned About Potential Decrease in Vaccines due to Possible Autism Link
More than 75 percent of pediatricians have seen an increase in childhood ADHD & autism over the past 5 years, according to a recent survey from Epocrates. And nearly 90 percent of respondents are concerned that patients may not receive vaccines due to the recent court case about childhood vaccines being linked to autism.
Media Coverage and DTC Ads Drive Patient Awareness and Activity, According to Gastroenterologists
A year ago, Former Texas Governor Ann Richards succumbed to Barrett's esophagus and her loss inspired thousands of aging Americans to pro-actively seek medical treatment. Gastroenterologists report more aggressively treating the disease over the past five years. According to a recent Epocrates survey, media coverage and direct-to-consumer advertising has driven colorectal screenings and self-diagnosis of IBS.
Emergency Docs: Using the ER as Primary Care Source is Detrimental to All
A recent survey from Epocrates revealed that emergency department physicians believe that many of the cases they see could be handled by primary care physicians. Three-quarters of those surveyed reported that using the ER as a primary source of care negative impacts the care others receive, including increasing wait times, decreasing the amount of time the doctors can spend with other patients, and increasing overall ER costs. This problem also can lead to what ER docs report as their departments' biggest issues: overcrowding and insufficient staffing.
Smoking Bans Should Not be Optional
More than 1/6 of the world's total population smokes cigarettes, however in recent years governments have begun to restrict the places in which individuals can smoke. According to a recent Epocrates survey, nearly half of Pulmonologists think non-smoking bans should be mandatory. Nearly ninety percent of respondents expect to see an increase in emphysema due to smoking over the next 5-10 years as Baby Boomers age. Pulmonolgists widely recommend prescription smoking cessation products as an effective way to quit the habit.