Independent Heartbeats:
Our monthly newsletter designed to help independent cardiologists keep pace with the latest news and insights… in under 5 minutes.
(Estimated read time: 4.5 minutes)
“How are you feeling?” It’s a question that cardiologists ask their patients at least a dozen times every day. But how often do providers and practice managers look in the mirror and ask it to ourselves?
There’s no better time to do so than the present. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and feelings of burnout and depression continue to plague physicians across all specialties. Please take a few moments and put your personal well-being on the top of your to-do list.
Start by catching up on this month’s newsletter. We’ll explore topics related to cardiovascular disease and mental wellness, including ways to combat compassion fatigue and tips on how to bridge the heart-mind connection with your patients. You’ll also get insights into a few hot topics that are impacting independent practitioners right now.
Let’s get started.
Best,
Jasen Gundersen, MD
Industry Buzz:
Hot Topics in Independent Practices
- Understanding and Promoting Compassion in Medicine
- At a glance: Compassion plays a vital role in improving patient satisfaction and strengthening the doctor-patient bond, according to this Medscape Medical News article. Yet compassion fatigue is real. The author surmises that chronic exposure to conflicting work demands, including high administrative burdens, can negatively impact a physician’s impact to express compassion.
- What you should know: While written by a doctor in Italy, this article offers valuable insights for U.S. providers. Creating a culture of compassion is well within reach for independent cardiologists. Private practitioners have the freedom to align their practices with their personal values so they can lead with empathy, improve their work-life balance and deliver the highest quality of care.
- At a glance: Compassion plays a vital role in improving patient satisfaction and strengthening the doctor-patient bond, according to this Medscape Medical News article. Yet compassion fatigue is real. The author surmises that chronic exposure to conflicting work demands, including high administrative burdens, can negatively impact a physician’s impact to express compassion.
- Neighborhood Environmental Burden and Cardiovascular Health in the U.S.
- At a glance: What’s the association between environmental risks — such as air pollution and nearby toxic sites —and cardiovascular health? New research published by the JAMA Network aims to answer the question. The researchers performed a cross-sectional study of nearly 72,000 U.S. census tracts. They found that neighborhoods in the top quartile of environmental burden also experienced significantly higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors.
- What you should know: While environment plays a critical role in heart health, so too do other factors, such as socioeconomic status. The researchers in this study found that the strongest associations between environmental risks and cardiovascular disease were observed in socially vulnerable neighborhoods. These findings continue to emphasize the importance of incorporating social determinants of health into all levels of patient care.
- At a glance: What’s the association between environmental risks — such as air pollution and nearby toxic sites —and cardiovascular health? New research published by the JAMA Network aims to answer the question. The researchers performed a cross-sectional study of nearly 72,000 U.S. census tracts. They found that neighborhoods in the top quartile of environmental burden also experienced significantly higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors.
- AMA Says Change Healthcare Breach is Crippling Independent Practices
- At a glance: The Change Healthcare data breach may have happened in February, but it’s still impacting independent practices right now. Of 590 physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association on April 24, 90% say they continue to lose revenue from the breach. Even more troublesome, revenue was down by over 70% as of April 24, and 34% of surveyed physicians were unable to make their payroll.
- What you should know: With data breaches impacting our payers — and even our practices — more often, independent cardiologists must be proactive on two fronts. For one, they should be certain their technology partners adhere to industry-leading data privacy and cybersecurity projections. For another, they should find partners who can help them maximize efficiency and revenue so they can mitigate or avoid any potential financial harm.
- At a glance: The Change Healthcare data breach may have happened in February, but it’s still impacting independent practices right now. Of 590 physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association on April 24, 90% say they continue to lose revenue from the breach. Even more troublesome, revenue was down by over 70% as of April 24, and 34% of surveyed physicians were unable to make their payroll.
- Nearly 80% of Doctors Employed by Hospitals, Corporate Entities in Continued Shift Away from Independent Practice
- At a glance: A record high 77.6% of doctors are employed by hospitals or other corporate entities, according to end-of-2023 data from the Physicians Advocacy Institute and Avalere. Hospital and corporate physician practice ownership rose to 58.5%, a 6% increase from 2022. This is the first time that corporate practice ownership (30.1%) was greater than hospital and health system ownership (28.4%).
- What you should know: Although this data paints the picture of independent practices as an endangered species, we’re seeing a different trend emerging here at CardioOne. We’ve talked to employed cardiologists who have grown dissatisfied with the employment model and are seeking ways to reclaim their independence. It will be interesting to see whether this groundswell leads to a reversal in the move toward employment over the next 12 months.
- At a glance: A record high 77.6% of doctors are employed by hospitals or other corporate entities, according to end-of-2023 data from the Physicians Advocacy Institute and Avalere. Hospital and corporate physician practice ownership rose to 58.5%, a 6% increase from 2022. This is the first time that corporate practice ownership (30.1%) was greater than hospital and health system ownership (28.4%).
