A Look at A.I., EHRs, and MD Attrition: Do PAs suffer the same trend?

[ChaseBlakeley]

Great piece in the NY Times on the dehumanization of healthcare thanks to the mess that is EHR.

Curious how PAs feel about A.I., machine learning, and other health tech innovations and the corresponding threat to their utility in the healthcare market, as well as the lure away from the "trenches" and into Silicon Valley way of approaching healthcare.

MD attrition rate of 50% with the majority leaving due to burnout is an absolutely terrifying statistic when considering a career, even pre-PA.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/16/magazine/health-issue-what-we-lose-with-data-driven-medicine.html?action=click&module=MagazineModule&pgtype=Article&contentCollection=Magazine&region=Footer

[sas5814]

Wow... I read that and kept thinking "that is my organization" or "that is how many of my colleagues "feel" or "that describes exactly how we room and treat patients." I am one of the very few in my UC group who doesn't use the computers in the exam rooms. I chart after I have seen the patient. There is precious little time allotted for most visits. Why not let that time be person to person?

[jmj11]

We just upgraded our EMR (MediTech) and my life is profoundly better. I don't want to sound like an advertisement, but I have more time to spend with patients, I come to work 30-60 minutes later (used to have to prep charts) and I go home a the end of the day with all charts complete and signed.

[thinkertdm]

Do PA's get burnout?  Yes.  Do administrators care?  No.  PA's are seen as expendable money makers, easy to replace.  They only care about the mds.  

Is it the emr that makes it like this?  No, of course not.  It's capitalism and economics, pure and simple.  When a corporation, run by bean counters (and maybe MD bean counters), the object, like Walmart, is the bottom line.  Why have real mechanics in the Walmart auto shop when lesser paid people can do it.  

The other drive, of course, is the culture of illness we seem to have.  If people would take one tenth of self responsibility (and I'm not even talking about preventative medicine) we would be out of jobs.  

[weezianna]

I never chart while the patient is in the room, unless I'm entering a med list.  I prefer to use the time to look at, connect with and examine the patient.  I can't tell you how many of them have told me that they appreciate the direct attention, but more alarming is the number who have told me that their docs have never touched them, and conduct the visit seated across the room,  while documenting a physical exam.

[EMEDPA]

8 hours ago, sas5814 said:

Wow... I read that and kept thinking "that is my organization" or "that is how many of my colleagues "feel" or "that describes exactly how we room and treat patients." I am one of the very few in my UC group who doesn't use the computers in the exam rooms. I chart after I have seen the patient. There is precious little time allotted for most visits. Why not let that time be person to person?

yup, they took the computer out of the exam room at my last job when I kept using the cd drive to hold a cup of coffee.

[Mcshald]

My medical director put “using the computer for in room charting “ as goal for the year in my evaluation last year. I put having “more face to face time with patients” as the best way the company could support me in providing better patient care. 

I still chart after visits and am still expected to see more patients in less time with less support staff. Can’t wait for my next evaluation. 

[EMEDPA]

maybe add "looking for a better job" to goals for next year.

[Mcshald]

Nah, way better goal for this year. Since I was just informed no contracts for this year, all employees now at will, they won’t know I’m going to retire until the week before. I understand “at will “ status means either party can end the relationship at any time for any reason.