The top issues physicians face

Physicians say the burden of paperwork/quality metrics is the top issue they face, according to Medical Economics’ 94^th Physician Report. This was the top issue physicians reported in 2020 as well.

Other top issues physicians reported included:

• Lack of staffing
• Nonphysician providers gaining practice/prescribing independence
• Inadequate reimbursement
• Burnout or work/life balance
• Recruiting young physicians

Physicians also reported that third-party interference (e.g., prior authorization) was a top issue, and that they were increasingly spending more time dealing with it. Seventeen percent of physicians reported spending more than 20 hours a week on prior authorizations, while 9% spent 16-20 hours and 26% spent 10-15 hours.

Source: Medical Economics