A study conducted by Zeno Group gathered information from millennial physicians (ages ranging 26-40 years old) on how they feel about the current state of healthcare. The information revealed does not come as a surprise; to say the least, they are overwhelmed and completely frustrated that they cannot fulfill their duties of caring for their patients because of large amounts of administrative work coupled with the current pace of change in healthcare.
This study collected responses from millennial physicians in areas of the United Kingdom and the United States. Almost 80 percent of these young physicians say they are ready to become the leaders of change that is so needed to improve the current state of healthcare.
It is not a question that one of the top priorities of all healthcare professionals is to increase and improve patient engagement. To accomplish this in our modern world, most young physicians view technology as the key to improving the doctor-patient connection. According to Zeno Group’s study, many young physicians stand by the use of digital technology in their daily professionals lives. In an effort to thin the engagement gap between the doctor and the patient, young physicians specifically encourage direct mobile engagement so they can stay in the loop regarding the health and treatment of their patients. To put numbers to this, 81 percent of those studied agree that digital communication can enhance the way medicine is is delivered, and 59 percent claim that direct mobile engagement is already having a positive impact in the daily lives of their patients.
Although young doctors are hungry for change – change that will improve the quality of their patients’ health care – they are consistently being held back by the never-ending amounts of paperwork and limited by out-dated operating systems. In fact, 81 percent agree they spend more time on administrative duties than on time that should be spent on taking care of their patients.
Furthermore, 62 percent of young physicians feel their autonomy is fading because these obstacles are not allowing them to practice medicine the want they want to. A whopping 77 percent feel they simply cannot keep up with how fast healthcare is changing and are already feeling the effects of physician burnout.
Physicians chose a career in the field of medicine because it is their passion to treat and care for people. Therefore, they want to see changes that will allow them to be efficient doctors. In a world where there are so many ways to deliver top-notch healthcare, they want to be an integral part of the mission to improve the way in which healthcare is provided to their patients.