Increasing physician control HealthTap over their schedules can improve physician morale, motivation, and satisfaction. However, time pressures also play a role in health care inequities.
Up to 60 patients a day
GPs are seeing up to 60 patients a day and have to deal with a wide range of health problems, according to a survey carried out by the Royal College of General Practitioners. The study involved 1529 patients and 198 GPs.
The survey found that one in 10 GPs has more than 60 contacts, which is more than the safe limit of 25 for a full-time family doctor. The findings indicate that the GP workforce is working under pressure, and there is a danger that GPs could make mistakes.
The study also found that the average primary care physician has a large number of complex patients. The survey was carried out between November 2012 and April 2013. The data was collected through both formal and informal GP networks.
GPs were asked to fill out a questionnaire after seeing a patient and were given four options for each health problem. The responses were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). The GEE logistic regression model was adjusted for the size of the patient list and practice location. The analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.
Time pressure plays a role in inequities in health care
Across the globe, health inequities cost billions of dollars every year. In the United States, for example, racial and ethnic minorities tend to suffer more from poor health than other groups. This results in greater gaps in access to care, higher rates of disease, and shorter life spans. It is no wonder, then, that a number of organizations are focusing on addressing these inequities.
While the healthcare industry has made some progress in addressing health inequities, it is not without its share of challenges. In some regions of the country, affluent communities have better access to health care while depressed urban areas have poorer care.
The good news is that, if companies, governments, and non-profit organizations work together, health inequities can be mitigated or eliminated. Some companies are putting their money where their mouth is, and are investing heavily in affordable housing and other community-based tech-enabled solutions. Others are recognizing that health inequities are deeply entangled with other social problems.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the importance of health inequities. It has shown that there is a need to scale up investments in essential public health functions such as health surveillance, risk communication, and community outreach.
Increasing physicians’
Increasing physicians’ control over their schedules can improve their motivation, morale, and satisfaction. Physicians in one large practice co-located with nurses and medical assistants were asked to complete an electronic questionnaire about their working conditions. Using a multi-dimensional construct, they found that a physician’s satisfaction was a result of a complex interaction between their work experience and the organizational environment.
The study also examined the relationship between physician job satisfaction and physicians’ intentions to continue working in a large public academic hospital. A total of 180 physicians agreed to participate in the study. The researchers asked about their medical specialty, intentions to continue working in the hospital, and reasons for their decisions.
A number of respondents said they stayed because of the prestige of the hospital or the academic environment. Another reason for physicians’ intentions to continue working at the hospital was their relationship with their professional colleagues.
Conclusion
Another factor that contributes to dissatisfaction is the inadequate remuneration. Physicians in this study reported that they were not paid well for their work. They believed that work encroached on their personal time. This is a common complaint among medical professionals.