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Despite evidence indicating doctors are doing worse this year compared to last, job satisfaction has increased, with doctors citing new technology as a contributing factor, according to a new survey.
The survey was conducted in December by Practice Fusion, a San Francisco-based EHR provider, with help from MDLinx. It collected responses from a national sample of 100 physicians, the majority of which were in primary care practices with fewer than six providers.
The 2011 State of the Small Practice survey highlights the challenges faced by private practices nationwide in an environment of economic downturn, technology mandates and healthcare reform.
"Small primary care medical practices are the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system," said Ryan Howard, CEO of Practice Fusion. "These are family doctors on the front lines. They're passionate about caring for their patients and our survey indicates that they're struggling.”
The survey found that 41 percent of doctors report their practice is doing worse this year compared to last year, while 26 percent report their practice doing better and 31 percent report no change.
Despite the financial pressures, the survey found that 69 percent of doctors report being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their career. Fifty-nine percent cited use of new technology as making things easier for their practice.
The survey found that 73 percent of respondents are using a computer that is at least three years old, and nine out of 10 could correctly define an electronic health record.
Eleven percent of doctors cited improvements in overall efficiency and healthcare technology as impacting their practice positively, and 7 percent cited having an electronic health record as a positive trend.
