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The Business of
Health Care Report In North Texas, about 80 percent of consumers have a relationship with someone they designate as their "family doctor." In addition to treating illnesses, these hard-working doctors monitor a patient's health, recommend preventive screenings and refer to medical specialists when necessary. Family doctors see an average of 20 to 40 patients daily and take home about $150,000 to $200,000 annually on average. Their labor, supply and equipment costs have risen steeply while their incomes have seen only a 2 percent increase since 1995. And the demands of managed care have hit them hard. A case in point is a 10-year evolution of the changing practice of Dr. Allen Pearlman, a board-certified internist on the staff at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. A 25-year practitioner, Dr. Pearlman has doubled his staff during the past 10 years, has added a nurse practitioner to care for less sick patients, and refers inpatients to the care of a hospitalist who oversees a patient's care while they are in the hospital. He has added an accounting assistant, one person just to coordinate pre-approvals from insurance companies and referrals to specialists, and uses two medical assistants for patient histories, information updates and routine office check-ins. Personnel are not all that Dr. Pearlman has added. Thirteen computers networked together keep his practice humming to speed information and record-keeping. He developed his own software system to keep track of medications, histories and records of patient symptoms. While seeing patients, Dr. Pearlman takes callbacks from specialists about his patients on a busy cell phone and consults the Internet frequently for information he needs. Primary care doctors play an important role as gatekeepers of our health, but their jobs are harder today and their hours much longer. If you have comments on health care or suggestions for topics to be addressed on this program, e-mail me at DougHawthorne@TexasHealth.org. Stay tuned to our weekly Business of Health Care reports here on TexasHealth.org and on News Radio 1080 KRLD. Source: Pearlman interview, MGMA Doug Hawthorne - DougHawthorne@TexasHealth.org ©
2001 Texas Health Resources |
