Vital Signs, a newsletter from AdvancedMD, brings the healthcare industry’s top trends and insights.
Healthcare has been a hot topic among lawmakers recently, with congressional meetings on everything from Medicare reimbursement rates to the impact of medical debt on patients’ credit scores. Another hot topic: Hiring and retaining top talent. According to a survey of medical group owners conducted by the Medical Group Management Association, more than a third of respondents said that hiring and recruitment efforts to find qualified nurses has gotten more difficult this year. Meanwhile, Medical Economics offered up 22 reasons healthcare professionals are turned off during the interview process.
Here’s a quick recap of everything we learned:
- The CMS has announced a new ACO Primary Care Flex model that, according to Medical Economics, is designed to, “Enhance primary care while moving toward the goal of having Medicare beneficiaries in ACOs by 2030.”
- Healthcare Dive reported that the Senate Finance Committee met in May to explore new paths to financial stability for primary care physicians, specifically proposing that Medicare adjust physician reimbursement rates to account for inflation.
- A survey conducted by MGMA found that 35% of medical group owners said their hiring and recruitment efforts for nursing roles have worsened this year, with “worker availability” cited as the top challenge.
- Another MGMA survey focused on professional physician leadership development offerings found that only 23% of medical group leaders polled by MGMA had a formal program in place for physicians—among the respondents who didn’t have a formal program in place, some report that they do have informal mentorship and coaching opportunities for new physicians.
- The House Budget Committee is looking into the impact of healthcare mergers and acquisitions on cost, quality and access. During a meeting with lawmakers, a Texas-based surgeon told the committee that if the U.S. continues with its current rate of mergers and consolidations, independent physicians will fade from the healthcare system, per a report from Healthcare Dive.
- After polling its audience on the top challenges medical practice’s faced during the past year, Physicians Practice revealed that 51% of respondents cited administrative burdens and 41% said hiring and retention.
- According to Healthcare IT News, healthcare providers conducting both virtual and in-person patient visits on the same day experienced a 6% increase in time spent on documentation and EHR tasks.
- Medical Economics surveyed its audience to find out why job candidates get turned off during the interview process. The most cited reason: Employers not disclosing salary information.
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed that medical debt be removed from credit score calculations, according to Healthcare Dive, a move that could raise credit scores an average of 20 points.
- Healthcare IT News covered a recent survey by the American Medical Informatics Association that found 75% of healthcare providers say the time required for documentation impedes patient care.
Vital Signs is brought to you by AdvancedMD. It’s our way of helping you keep up on the trends and insights shaping our industry. Each month, we will send you a roundup of healthcare headlines so that you are in-the-know when it comes to the topics that matter most to you, your staff, and patients.