[optimal] Re: Workload Demands
- From: Stuart Alfred <stuart.alfred@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:04:55 -0400
Bruce and Mark,
Everyone so ready to comment - it has been some time since OPTIMAL got its'
'dander up', and Bruce and Mark specifically as I had conversations with
both in San Fran ICOP 2006 about somewhat similar thread subjects. .
Mind you private practices and university have differing payment models. .
.my story is as follows:
Just prior, and during, my planned departure from state university my
position was re-categorized to an IT position. Great ...right, acurate
certainly. Irony is I'd argued for about a year that if ophthalmology
databases needed new software or backups (Humphrey. MRP) it seemed
imperative that the university's vast IT service be called in. That
'support' would cost *our* service money, so guess what?! I was forced
into spending any spare moment working on incompetently backup systems,
hopefully without losing the entire DB. Behind this scenario a few
aspects; I was singularly running my university ophthalmology service in
the burbs doing *very* profitable volumes of OCTs per day, while also doing
all FAs, most VFs !!! and all CFPs/SL (with PowerPoint's/posters etc
happening at the ophth service.) You get the picture. Grant it I might
have overlooked some alternative ideas, but Mark's post is spot on for me,
Bruce's drives it home. Implementing our collective work ethic and medical
diagnostics experience into a vastly changing landscape is the shrewd route
to navigate, dropping the 95yr olds who require pushing the instrument to
the edge and your shoulders, voice box and sanity to the edge, and 3% rate
increases. Wondering if I can tangent successfully into a more fully IT
environment.
In specific regard to Mark's points some of you may consider 'retooling' by
checking out a recently passed piece of Federal legislature (with
educational grant $$) regarding electronic exchange of health related
information, and current and future need for qualified IT personnel. *see
below/attached*
*
*
Adding knowledge in HIT,
Stuart
TRI-C student in HIT / Implementation Support Specialist.
HITECH act
http://www.athenahealth.com/_doc/pdf/HITECH_Fact_Sheet_Whitepaper.pdf
On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 7:03 PM, Bruce Cox <gbrucecox@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> It have always felt that the best way to handle workplace abuse by
> employers – and indeed what is being expressed in today’s posts is abuse,
> is to educate oneself on all aspects of your job, including what the doctor
> gets reimbursed for what *you* do. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Thirty two years ago after working @ Wills for several years and seeing
> our 2 man department increase our volume by 200%, my working partner and I
> went to the administration to plead our case. We were told that our
> department made money for departments in the hospital that did not, and
> that we would not receive any more than our 6% raise (1980 when inflation
> was running at 12%). Within a year both of us had left. Armed with the
> information I had garnered from that experience, I started my own mobile
> service and have been in business for the last 30 years, always keeping up
> with changing technology and reimbursement rates. When a client questions
> any part of our service, I’m ready with answers. Today we are integrating
> our diagnostic imaging into our clients EMRs which not only makes them
> happy, but saves us $$ in printing costs.****
>
> ** **
>
> Knowledge is key.****
>
> ** **
>
> Bruce Cox****
>
> MDI****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> *On Behalf Of *Hackel, Richard
> *Sent:* Monday, March 26, 2012 11:51 AM
> *To:* optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> *Subject:* [optimal] Re: Workload Demands****
>
> ** **
>
> Check out this article in yesterday's New York Times: ****
>
> ** **
>
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/us/death-and-disarray-at-americas-racetracks.html?scp=1&sq=race%20horses&st=cse
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Richard****
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] on
> behalf of Marshall E Tyler [marshalletyler@xxxxxxxxx]
> *Sent:* Monday, March 26, 2012 8:34 AM
> *To:* Anton Drew; optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> *Subject:* [optimal] Re: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands****
>
> Like Anton, except for being in a 3 photographer, 2 location practice, the
> patient & procedure load kept increasing.
> IF equipment were to never go down, and nobody was sick or on holiday, and
> there were no OR cases, publication images, or drug studies, and no lunchs
> to be eaten, nor potty needs, then all was good.
> Days with 2 photographers could keep up with 100+ procedures. Days with
> one photographer and 85+ procedures and 10 hour days were not uncommon.
> There is an expression about abusing race horses: "Run hard and put up
> wet."
> There is a point where not only photographers are abused, but patients
> receive sub-par studies.
> How to address this balance of appropriate staffing could be a topic for
> OPS meetings.
> Thank you,
> Marshall
> Marshall E. Tyler, CRA, FOPS, 40 years of service, Retired!
> via Verizon Android Phone****
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Anton Drew" <anton.drew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Mon, Mar 26, 2012 3:29 am
> Subject: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
> To: <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>****
>
> Each year for the past 2 years our OCT workload had increased over 100%
> each year and our patients were sent to Alan Hoare as we didn't have an
> OCT. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Since we got our own unit, nearly 2 years ago, our workload (on demand)
> had increased 150% the first year, and 250%, last year. ****
>
> Already we are ahead of that figure this year to the same time. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Being mainly a one man band it is getting very difficult to keep up with
> the workloads for the Retinal Clinics which are 3 days a week, plus
> Diabetic Screening.****
>
> ** **
>
> With Fundal Photos, FFAs, Slitlamp Photography, OCTs, Pentacam and
> Wavefront scans it is not unusual for me to have 28+ patients in a 3 hour
> session.****
>
> ** **
>
> THEN they ask for images for publications, editing of videos taken during
> surgery, and forms, brochures and posters designed.****
>
> ** **
>
> Getting too old for this stress. :o| ****
>
> ** **
>
> After 40 years in the job (started 14th Feb 1972), enough is enough, as
> they won't employ my assistant full time, I am making a concerted effort to
> cut my hours back in transition to retirement, but I am getting a lot of
> resistance to that.****
>
> ** **
>
> The job has become too stressful trying to keep up with the present and
> increasing workload and there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight.****
>
> I regularly work up to an hour over and above my Award hours, but don't
> get paid any extra, and have no chance of taking the time off at a later
> date.****
>
> ** **
>
> So Lisa, as they say, "ALL of the above!"****
>
> ** **
>
> Anton ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> On 26/03/2012, at 1:03 PM, Lisa Breayley wrote:****
>
>
>
> ****
>
> Quick question for those of you who went from a paper/print system for
> results to a totally on-line system – i.e. Drs can see patient results
> “instantly” in clinic.****
>
> ****
>
> Did your workload go up? Did having results straight away meant the
> clinicians asked for more? More patients? More tests? More views?****
>
> ****
>
> We’re looking at a system now and I’m curious…****
>
> ****
>
> Lisa****
>
> ****
>
> ****
>
> L.M.Breayley****
>
> Senior Photographer****
>
> MedPIC****
>
> ****
>
> The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital****
>
> 32 Gisborne Street****
>
> East Melbourne, Victoria 3002****
>
> ****
>
> Ph 61-3-9929 8335****
>
> Fax 61-3-9929 8217****
>
> www.eyeandear.org.au****
>
> ****
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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>
> ** **
>
> **********************************************************
> Electronic Mail is not secure, may not be read every day, and should not
> be used for urgent or sensitive issues ****
>
--
Stuart Alfred, CRA, OCT-*C*
*
cell 317 517-9455
528 N. Bauman St.
Indianapolis, IN 46214-3618
*
*www.stuartalfred.com<http://stuartalfred.com/stuartalfred.com/Welcome.html>
*
<http://stuartalfred.com/>
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