Medscape surveyed 15,000 doctors in the US in 2018. Doctors stated these factors contributed to burnout:
- Unable to utilize their time at its best
- Lack of autonomy to provide the best patient care
- Being rushed to maintain the profitability of their organization
Here is how telemedicine and telehealth staffing support can address these challenges.
Time Savings on Telehealth Staffing Support
Thirty-five percent of the doctors responded that managing work schedules or call hours could lessen burnout. Telemedicine consultations are very convenient since patients won’t miss their appointments. Doctors can work more efficiently and use these consults, work schedules, and call hours better especially when health issues are remotely routine for the doctor.
Twenty percent of those doctors said they avoid burnout when their work schedules have greater flexibility. And the only way to do that is through telehealth staffing support. To gain back their time, they designate specific days in a week as their telemedicine days.
One example of a physician using this technique is Dr. David Shprecher, DO, the Movement Disorders Director of Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Phoenix. He checks up on his patients scheduled on telemedicine days at his home office. Allowing telecommuting saves more time. He doesn’t have to travel back and forth which can usually take up an hour of his day.
More Dedicated, Consistent Care
A survey conducted revealed some 23% of respondents find that having autonomy and an increase in autonomy reduces burnout in doctors. Telemedicine and telehealth provide these perks
A good example is how pediatric gastroenterologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dr. Kristy Ingebo, MD handles her time efficiently. Three months each year, she visits her patients living in Flagstaff, Arizona. The other nine months are allocated mostly for remote consulting with her patients at Flagstaff Medical Center from Phoenix.
Dr. Ingebo recommends telemedicine to her fellow healthcare providers. She finds it easy dealing with patients, sitting in her own office, and watching the interactions of the patient’s family. She is free from distractions from her kids who usually get in the habit of climbing allover her. She can chill and concentrate more on providing the utmost patient care.
Families of her patients highly appreciate telemedicine and telehealth seeing as they don’t have to commute between Phoenix and Flagstaff for 5 hours especially after the price of gas has been going up these days. It could hinder them from making taking the road trip.
Patients who have chronic diseases need long-term management. That burden on both doctors and patients is reduced because of telemedicine. Whenever patients experience chronic disease exacerbations, they cannot always see their doctors. They usually end up visiting the Emergency Department.
But through telemedicine, there is no need for these unnecessary ED visits. Doctors and healthcare virtual staff use remote monitoring to manage and keep tabs on them.
Increased Patient Access to Care
According to 19% of the surveyed doctors, patients should have more emphasis rather than profits to reduce burnout. Patients in rural areas should have access to healthcare. Organizations can increase this through telemedicine.
The US Health Resources & Services Administration said that rural hospitals that closed between 2010 and 2016 have added up to around 80. It resulted in 62 million residents having no access to healthcare. For many rural people, to be able to have a doctor’s checkup or visit the hospital, they travel long distances. Those who have transportation are the lucky ones as only a few doctors practice in rural areas.
With telemedicine, doctors can diagnose and treat their patients better. It addresses many health problems allowing patients to save more money on traveling. Telemedicine increases patients’ access to care and satisfies medical practitioners in treating and diagnosing their patients.
Final Thoughts
The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services had a policy brief. Telehealth can recruit and retain doctors and medical practitioners in rural areas. That’s why there is more improvement in patients’ access to healthcare. The same goes for choosing Phoenix Virtual Solutions as your offshore outsourcing partner and hiring their Filipino healthcare virtual staff. Their business is to unburden doctors as well as patients from burnout and isolation.
Work on top of your doctor’s license! Contact Phoenix Virtual Solutions today to decrease your burnout, manage your workloads, and improve your well-being.
