The EMR (Electronic Medical Record) in Emergency Medicine reduces productivity - the number of patients who can be seen by an individual physician - by AT LEAST 30%. That is after a minimum of 3 months to become proficient with the system.
Instant Doctor shortage.
We spend 80% of our time with a mouse and keyboard, not a stethoscope, entering data into prescribed templates. Now the feds are complaining about “cookie cutter” records that they mandated.
Expect the majority of encounters to be with midlevels, because there are not enough physicians to do the mandated BS.
After 38 years in the ER, I can now see 1.3-1.5 patients per hour. 25 years ago it was 6-10. “Good enough for government work?” Oh yes, reimbursement is hovering around 25 cents on the dollar.
“Once upon a time” I used to moonlight in ERs. I could see 60 or more patients in a twelve hour shift. Back then the nurses helped a lot. Over time the nurses refused to do more and more and the doctor had to pick up the dropped ball. Documentation requirements became more important then time with the patient. Prgressively, things got worse and worse. The last time I left an ER I swore I would never go back.
Yeah, but just seeing one patient an hour (and that one some creep trying to lie his way into a narcotics prescription, and taking up your whole hour...my idea, call the cops. You ER docs need to start sending your patients to jail)...you have a much lower risk of a malpractice lawsuit than if you worked to your full potential. let that lawyer with the kidney stone sit out in the waiting room for TWO DAYs.