A recent edition of AAD’s Dermatology World magazine featured a piece highlighting the factors dermatologists say most and least contribute to their job satisfaction. The findings, which were taken from the AAD’s 2019 Life in Practice Study, are not surprising. Patient interaction, clinical autonomy, and a variety of patient cases lead the way to job satisfaction. Each of the 5 factors listed as drains on professional happiness involve the non-clinical side of practicing medicine such as employee benefits, support with administration and regulatory burdens and EHRs.
Source: Medscape Dermatologist Compensation Report 2018
More Patients, Less Practice Management
As a point of reference, a 2018 report by Medscape found that 61% of dermatologists spend 10-20+ hours per week on paperwork/administrative tasks and 30-45 hours per week with patients. Based on the abovementioned AAD study, if dermatologists want to increase their job satisfaction, they must reduce their practice management responsibilities. Unfortunately, hiring additional office staff is often not the best answer. The time and effort to recruit, train, and manage employees often adds to rather than alleviates a dermatologist’s management burden.
Physicians who partner with QualDerm get the benefit of dedicated practice management professionals who are experienced in the specialty of dermatology. For example, QualDerm’s IT team provides in-house tech support to all the organization’s affiliated practice locations, so physicians don’t have to waste time trouble-shooting computer issues or dealing with EHR problems. QualDerm handles HR, payor contract negotiations, regulatory compliance and the myriad of other practice management responsibilities required to keep a dermatology practice up, running, compliant, and profitable. In fact, after one Tennessee-based practice affiliated with QualDerm, the physician’s capacity to see patients increased 10-15%.
Clinical Autonomy and Collaboration
Physicians value their clinical autonomy and know that maintaining this autonomy is a crucial element of delivering quality patient care. QualDerm understands this and built its partnership model to ensure patient care decisions are made by the physician. The QualDerm model also gives affiliated physicians control over their careers. The organization does not control physicians’ schedules or impose quotas.
As part of the QualDerm network, affiliated physicians are able to collaborate with their colleagues at 40 practices in 7 states. Affiliated physicians frequently consult one another on cases and share ideas. They also participate in Journal Clubs and get quarterly newsletters from the QualDerm Quality Council. This type of collaboration benefits both the physicians and patients, as well as helps advance the practice of dermatology.
Learn more about how affiliating with QualDerm can alleviate the burden of practice management and enhance your job satisfaction.
Contact us to find out more about partnership opportunities or to discuss selling your practice.