2 answers
Aroma
Student
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
15
Questions
Asked
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What is the hardest part of balancing patient care and paperwork as a cardiologist?
Open-ended response
please explain in detail and tell me why.
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2 answers
TRAVIS UPCHURCH
Federal Contract Admin
174
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
TRAVIS’s Answer
Hello,
I think it is important to embrace process improvement methodologies into your office because that will allow for the most time efficient and continuous improvement of managing your time and paperwork requirements. With new automation tools, it will be important to learn about how your paperwork processes can be streamlined so you have more time to spend with your patience. Finding high functioning office staff who are willing to embrace new processes and technologies will also be helpful.
I think it is important to embrace process improvement methodologies into your office because that will allow for the most time efficient and continuous improvement of managing your time and paperwork requirements. With new automation tools, it will be important to learn about how your paperwork processes can be streamlined so you have more time to spend with your patience. Finding high functioning office staff who are willing to embrace new processes and technologies will also be helpful.
Thank you for the advice, TRAVIS.
Aroma
Rita Chuang
Physician
223
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
I'm not a cardiologist but I think this is an important question.
I had my own office in primary care and I burned out. I couldn't do it anymore and didn't have the desire. I spoke with my friend yesterday who is also in primary care and how she balanced was to work 2-2.5 days per week. When she works, she sees patients from 8-5 pm and then stays until 8 pm to finish notes and paperwork. I also worked long hours, worked before work and after work and during the weekends. Whenever I went on vacation, I came back to a mess or I would bring my computer to refill medications, answer questions etc. Once, I did not take vacation for 8 years.
Do you want to have a family and kids? How many? Most likely, you will still be in training (internship/residency/fellowship). These are long hour jobs that you often need to stay overnight in the hospital to take care of patients. Who is going to take care of your kids? Are you going to marry another doctor? One of my medical students whose parents were both doctors told me she had a nanny to raise her.
What seems to help for most doctors, especially doctors who marry doctors is for one parent (usually the woman) to work part time whereas the husband works full time. You also need to set boundaries with patients. This is hard. I think most doctors are people pleasers. What do you say when patients "beg" to be "squeezed in" for an "emergency"? I would squeeze in 10-20 patients a day and my rule was if I squeeze you in, I will only take care of your one emergency problem. Some of my medical students told me one doctor will only take care of 3 problems per visit. You need to set boundaries and let the patients know that if they are not happy, they can leave.
In the beginning, most doctors are great but then we reach a level where you are overwhelmed with too many patients and you just need to say, no more new patients.
Good luck!!
I had my own office in primary care and I burned out. I couldn't do it anymore and didn't have the desire. I spoke with my friend yesterday who is also in primary care and how she balanced was to work 2-2.5 days per week. When she works, she sees patients from 8-5 pm and then stays until 8 pm to finish notes and paperwork. I also worked long hours, worked before work and after work and during the weekends. Whenever I went on vacation, I came back to a mess or I would bring my computer to refill medications, answer questions etc. Once, I did not take vacation for 8 years.
Do you want to have a family and kids? How many? Most likely, you will still be in training (internship/residency/fellowship). These are long hour jobs that you often need to stay overnight in the hospital to take care of patients. Who is going to take care of your kids? Are you going to marry another doctor? One of my medical students whose parents were both doctors told me she had a nanny to raise her.
What seems to help for most doctors, especially doctors who marry doctors is for one parent (usually the woman) to work part time whereas the husband works full time. You also need to set boundaries with patients. This is hard. I think most doctors are people pleasers. What do you say when patients "beg" to be "squeezed in" for an "emergency"? I would squeeze in 10-20 patients a day and my rule was if I squeeze you in, I will only take care of your one emergency problem. Some of my medical students told me one doctor will only take care of 3 problems per visit. You need to set boundaries and let the patients know that if they are not happy, they can leave.
In the beginning, most doctors are great but then we reach a level where you are overwhelmed with too many patients and you just need to say, no more new patients.
Good luck!!