[optimal] Re: Workload Demands
- From: "Peterson John C" <JPeterson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:44:55 -0500
Good stuff, Mark and Stuart. HITECH Act link very informative. I too see
the future of our profession as part of the Health Info infrastructure.
In my job, I spend an increasing amount of time moving pixels from one
place to another (which includes unplugging logjams of all sorts), at
the expense of actually creating them. It's a change I welcome on a
number of levels, not least of which is that it's more brainy than
kicking out OCT's all day (not that I'm complaining about patient
contact...it's what keeps me grounded).
Last month I started an MBA program in IT Management. Hospital admin. is
helping with the tuition. In the meantime I'm looking for relevant
committee work to keep moving forward, and to make myself more useful.
Here's the program I'm attending:
http://www.wgu.edu/business/master_business_administration_IT_degree
Contact me off list if you want more information about this program.
Cheers,
John
********
John C. Peterson, BS, CRA
Director of Ophthalmic Photography Services
UW Health Eye Clinic
2880 University Ave., Rm. 246
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 263-7163
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
________________________________
From: optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optimal-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Stuart Alfred
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 8:05 PM
To: optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optimal] Re: Workload Demands
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-race
tracks.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 <http://www.eyeandear.org.au>
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