Physician burnout is a long-term stress reaction characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (indifference toward or detachment from work), and a decreased sense of personal achievement. Physicians are especially prone to burnout with almost half of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout.

Causes and Effects of Burnout
Physician burnout not only negatively affects physicians and their families, but it also puts patients at risk. Evidence suggests that physician burnout worsens the quality of patient care, increases the risk of medical errors, and decreases patient satisfaction.

Excessive workload, high patient volumes, administrative and regulatory burdens, increased documentation requirements, limited control over work schedules, and lack of support and autonomy from their organizations have been shown to increase physician stress levels and lead to a lack of work-life balance, emotional exhaustion, and poor relationships with colleagues and patients. This all creates burnout.

Steps You Can Take to Prevent Burnout
Here are some steps you can take at your practice to help reduce stress and prevent burnout:

Workplace violence in healthcare settings is on the rise, putting providers at risk physically, emotionally, and legally. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other industries. For podiatric medical physicians, this presents not only a safety concern, but a risk management priority. Implementing strong de-escalation techniques can protect staff, improve patient care, and reduce liability.

The Growing Threat of Workplace Violence in Healthcare
Healthcare environments are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence. Contributing factors may include:

It is not uncommon for lawsuits to arise from wound care treatment. You can provide care to the best of your ability, and sometimes poor outcomes still happen. A poor outcome does not necessarily mean medical negligence; however, when a poor outcome happens, patients can perceive that the standard of care was not provided, become unhappy, and file a lawsuit. Common allegations include delay in diagnosis, failure to properly treat, failure to timely refer, and failure to obtain informed consent. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to take measures to protect yourself and your patients during the wound care process.

All healthcare professionals like to receive positive online reviews. It’s a great way to let people know about you and the exceptional care you provide. Which, in turn, can help send new patients your way. 

To have a thriving practice, you must have patients. While it is great to get new patients, it is important to focus on retaining established patients, too. If you create loyal patients, they not only return to your office for appointments, but they promote your practice to their friends and family which is great for business.

As a doctor, you use your knowledge, experience, and medical judgment to determine the best course of treatment for your patient. However, adult patients with decision-making capacity have the right to choose or refuse to follow your treatment plan.

The Need for Fairness in Healthcare
In a perfect world, healthcare access and provision would be fair for all people, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, geographic location, language, age, disability, and other variables. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. To help address disparities in healthcare and improve patient outcomes, here is some guidance for practicing patient-centered and culturally competent healthcare. 

Imagine this scenario. You perform surgery on a patient and the patient does not heal as expected or has a complication. You perform another surgery to correct the problem, but the patient eventually needs further corrective surgery. Your relationship with the patient has deteriorated, and the patient decides to seek treatment from another physician. In the meantime, the patient’s bills are piling up and the patient is having a tough time paying the bills. To make matters worse, the new physician criticizes your surgeries. The patient decides to sue you.

UPDATE 2/10/25: The Feb. 12, 2025 date referenced in this article has been delayed to April 13, 2025 by all seven Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) for skin substitute grafts and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (CTPs). Released by all seven Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) on November 14, 2024, these policies will govern the use of skin substitute grafts for Medicare Part B beneficiaries for services rendered on or after February 12, 2025. The new policies set forth coverage requirements and limitations, including a list of covered and non-covered skin graft products, for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and venous leg ulcers (VLUs).

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