By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Media Begin Focus on Next Iteration of ACA
    December 13, 2012
    Washington State Care
    Using Homecare for Positive Change in Healthcare
    August 14, 2017
    Do Electronic Health Records Reduce Malpractice Claims?
    February 2, 2013
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Doctors Tell Patients “Call Me Maybe” – Or Maybe Not
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Doctors Tell Patients “Call Me Maybe” – Or Maybe Not
Health Reform

Doctors Tell Patients “Call Me Maybe” – Or Maybe Not

Bill Crounse
Bill Crounse
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Several data points in the form of articles or news updates crossed my desk today. They resonated with the theme of my most recent HealthBlog post “Patientnado—the storm that’s about to hit healthcare”.

Several data points in the form of articles or news updates crossed my desk today. They resonated with the theme of my most recent HealthBlog post “Patientnado—the storm that’s about to hit healthcare”. In that blog post I discussed the likely impact Health Reform (aka Obamacare) will have as 30 million or so new patients, armed with freshly-minted health insurance, try to find doctors in an already-strained system.

health reformA June 27th article by Yevgeniy Feymana and Paul Howard states that even before the enactment of health reform legislation, health-system researchers have reported that the US faces a growing shortage of physicians across all specialties. The shortfall is predicted to be 130,000 physicians by 2025. A new report by Feymana and Howard for the Manhattan Institute states that roughly a quarter of the doctor shortage will be among primary care physicians. This is worrisome since primary care is ideally the gateway or entry point for the millions of newly insured patients who will be hitting the healthcare system. This shortfall is already illustrated by some data coming from the state of Massachusetts which is often held up as an early model for health reform. According to the Massachusetts Medical Society, the percentage of family doctors accepting new patients in that state has dropped 19 percent over the last seven years. The percentage of internists taking new patients dropped 21 percent over the last 9 years. The number of pediatricians accepting new patients has fallen 10 percent over the last four years. 

primary care physiciansAnother article that caught my attention today was one by Jen Wieczner of the Wall Street Journal titled, “The doctor won’t take your call”. In it, Ms. Wieczner explains the pain physicians are feeling over the spiraling increase in telephone calls to their practices. Answering all those calls (for some practices hundreds or thousands of calls a day) takes a toll on office staff, is a time sink for docs (for which they are seldom reimbursed) and is legal quicksand for malpractice if calls are ignored or the wrong information is conveyed. The problem will likely only get worse as more and more patients who are insured, but have high-deductible plans, seek care and advice without having to actually make an appointment thereby avoiding being charged for an office visit. As the Wall Street Journal article points out, doctors are increasingly wary of giving out free advice on the telephone. Although some insurers and health plans, including Medicare, are compensating doctors for time on the phone with some patients, this is the exception rather than the rule. As a result, many doctor practices are off-loading telephone responsibilities to call centers and a variety of companies that specialize in on-line, health information and triage solutions.

More Read

healthcare reform FFS
Bill Frist Wants to Ban FFS
HIMSS14: Bullish on Growth in the International Healthcare IT Market
How to Control Healthcare Costs: Lessons from Singapore
Health Wonk Review: September
Is It Safe and Secure to Choose Home Care Services for Seniors Care? 

As I pointed out in my “Patientnado” post, the time has clearly arrived to start thinking in new ways about how we manage large populations of patients by applying exactly the most appropriate information and services in the most appropriate ways at the most appropriate time and place. In my own experience, I’m starting to see physician practices making use of communication/collaboration and customer relationship management tools that have become commonplace in other industries. 

As a primary care physician, my heart goes out to colleagues who are struggling to stay afloat financially, let alone deal with the stress of these changing times and increasing patient demands. But physicians are a hearty, creative lot. Given more contemporary technologies and access to information on best practices, I believe they will adapt to meet the demands of health reform and whatever else comes at them in the future.

TAGGED:CollaborationcommunicationcrmDynamicsHealth ITHealthcareICTInformation TechnologyMicrosoftobamacareprimary careproductivityrelationship managementWall Street Journal
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Technology

Why Cybersecurity Is Key To Protecting Medical Manufacturing In IoT

August 28, 2019

Who Leads Whom?

October 12, 2015

Helping Patients Pay Their Hospital Bills [VIDEO INTERVIEW]

October 6, 2013
obamacare confusion
Health ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

AskBlue Tries to Explain Health Insurance and Obamacare

September 2, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?