Rising healthcare costs, improving physician satisfaction and reducing unnecessary care that is not evidence based are among the issues top-of-mind for physician leaders, according to a recent survey from the American Association for Physician Leadership and the Navigant Center for Healthcare Research and Policy Analysis.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, among the 2,398 respondents, most physician leaders felt a greater level of confidence putting these issues in the hands of other physician leaders, rather than nonphysician leaders.
"Physician leaders have the clinical insights on what constitutes good, strong patient care. They have the insights on how to make the system work effectively to deliver that care," Peter Angood, MD, president and CEO of the American Association for Physician Leadership, said in a statement. "When you talk to non-physician, non-clinical leaders, they'll always admit that the clinicians have the better insights on healthcare and how to run it better."
Here are six issues physician leaders ranked as of very high or high importance, and how they feel physician leaders stack up compared to nonphysician leaders in their ability to handle the issues.
1. Rising healthcare costs
At 98 percent, rising healthcare costs was ranked by the most respondents as an issue of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 59 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 19 percent
2. Improving physician satisfaction with the profession
Most respondents (93 percent) ranked this issue as one of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 58 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 11 percent
3. Reducing unnecessary care that is not evidence based
Most respondents (92 percent) ranked this as an issue of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 64 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 14 percent
4. Increasing patient adherence to treatments
The majority of respondents (92 percent) felt this was an issue of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 55 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 17 percent
5. Increased transparency about quality
Ninety-two percent of respondents ranked this as an issue of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 70 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 29 percent
6. Shortage of primary care providers
Most respondents (89 percent) felt this issue was of very high or high importance.
- Portion with very high or high confidence in physician leaders to manage the issue: 45 percent
- Portion with very high or high confidence in nonphysician leaders to manage the issue: 14 percent
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