It’s a different world for physicians than it was 30 or even 20 years ago, thanks to practice and health insurance changes, greater need for management and financial skills, and demand for more transparency about costs.
Researchers at The Advisory Board recently noticed three factors that most impacted physician burnout and included their findings in an infographic. Here are just a few:
Physicians are younger — and the majority are women
In a study of physician gender and age, 22.7 percent of doctors under 35 and 28.6 percent of doctors 35 to 44 were women. And if you thought money would be most important to new physician graduates, think again:
- 60 percent of first-year residents said personal time was the most important factor when looking for a job
- 69 percent of first-year residents preferred to be employed by an outpatient clinic, hospital or medical group
- Only 2 percent of first-year residents said they preferred solo practice
Physicians are expected to be leaders
Doctors oversee nurses, technicians and other healthcare professionals and must have effective communication and leadership skills. They also spend more time managing the administrative side of the business.
- 80 percent of physicians now work in a large medical group or employment arrangement
- Primary care physicians lose 48 minutes a day on average by updating electronic medical records
Physicians are held to higher performance standards
Patients no longer go to the same doctor or hospital for a lifetime. They ask about how much procedures will cost, research providers online before scheduling appointments, and head to new offices based on location or accessibility when they need care.
- 67 percent of patients say convenience is a top priority when finding a primary care physician
- 80 percent of patients think doctors should discuss the cost of treatments and medical procedures with them ahead of time
- 37 percent of patients have read a negative online physician review and avoided that doctor because of it
Learn more about the changing physician population in the infographic below or download it from The Advisory Board.
