Senior News September, 2001 Vol. 20. No.  9

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Unsung heroes: Bridgeville Lunch Bunch creates a community

Unsung Heroes

Remembering Spirit: Who are your unsung heroes?

Grandparents' Day takes on a different feel

Ask the Nurse

Is there a "brain drain" among California physicians?

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Foreshadowing a grim future for patients in California, more than half of the physicians polled by a recent survey report problems attracting new doctors to their practices and half plan to quit, retire, or move out of state in the next three years, according to a new California Medical Association study.

"... And Then There Were None: The Coming Physician Supply Problem" takes the pulse of the state's physicians. It finds physicians are pessimistic about the future of medical practice in California, and feel frustrated by interference from managed care, low reimbursement and the spiking costs of delivering high-quality health care to their patients.

"This is a barometer of the mood of physicians in California-overall, physicians are pessimistic about medical practice in California," said CMA President Frank E. Staggers Sr., MD. "We need to look at ways to ward off a potential exodus of physicians from this state."

CMA's physician leaders, concerned with the impact on patients, commissioned the survey in an effort to substantiate continuing anecdotal evidence of recruiting problems and physician flight from the practice of medicine.

"We know that in some parts of California, physician supply has dwindled and patient care is compromised," said Jack Lewin MD, CEO of CMA. "This survey shows that this trend is in danger of spreading to all corners of the state. This is bad news for health care."

The study is not a randomized poll. The CMA collected the answers from practicing physicians in California, both members and nonmembers of the medical association, after distributing surveys statewide. More than 2,300 surveys were returned of 19,000 distributed. It is the largest statewide survey of physician attitudes undertaken in recent years.

In addition to the data compiled from the questionnaire, the report contains anecdotes from physicians revealing the depth of physician dissatisfaction. These personal testimonials illustrate doctors' frustrations with shortages of specialists, inadequate time spent with patients, trouble recruiting physicians and the collective impact of these on patients. No more current tabulation of physician supply exists in California.

To better monitor this vital health care parameter, CMA is sponsoring AB 1586, which would allow the Medical Board, for the first time, to collect information at license renewal about an individual physician's specialty and whether he or she works in patient care, research, teaching or other pursuits.

In addition, CMA is sponsoring AB 1600, which would level the playing field for physicians by allowing physicians and health plans to jointly negotiate contract renewals through a voluntary mediation process. This measure would strengthen the doctor-patient relationship by increasing physician clout with health plans.

Among the findings of the survey:

* More than a quarter of physicians said they would no longer choose to practice medicine if starting over today.
* More than a third of physicians who would still choose medicine would not choose to practice in California.
* Two-thirds of physicians would not advise their children to practice medicine.
* More than 25 percent of physicians have had difficulty attracting doctors to their practices in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, Marin, Santa Clara, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Mono, Siskiyou, Tuolumne and Shasta-Trinity counties. Still, physicians assert that their greatest professional satisfaction comes from treating patients.

"Many physicians no doubt are sticking with the profession because their original motivation remains: the desire to care for patients," said Dr. Lewin. "This professional ethic may be overwhelmed, however, if negative financial trends and managed care's chipping away at the doctor-patient relationship are not abated."

This news release from the California Medical Association was supplied to Senior news by Penny E. Figas of the Humboldt Del Norte County Medical Society. Her e-mail is medsoc@humboldt1.com.