Safety and quality suffer under strained systems, says survey of doctor executives

A survey of physician leaders said money and communication problems are among major barriers to providing good patient care. But there were some bright spots.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. July 9, 2007.

Doctors say there are too many obstacles to improving quality care and patient safety.

A lack of money and resources, poor communication among health care professionals and a desire to keep the status quo are among the biggest hurdles physicians struggle to overcome. When it comes to implementing quality and safety initiatives, many doctors fight to find the right balance between what's best for their patients and what's best for the health care organization.

That's according to a new national survey of 1,155 physician leaders the American College of Physician Executives conducted. Meanwhile, a new poll of 300 California doctors found that physicians are concerned about patient care largely because administrative burdens leave them less time to spend with patients.

The surveys add to the body of evidence quantifying doctors' growing frustrations with the health care system.

"Physicians are busier than ever trying to deal with all of the pressures on them," said Steven Tremain, MD, director of system redesign at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez, Calif., who is familiar with the ACPE survey. "There is waste everywhere, from inefficiencies to work flow. We can get better outcomes and do it more efficiently."

The ACPE in February sent the quality-of-care survey to its members, who include physicians and physician administrators working in hospitals, group practices and other health care organizations. The questionnaire asked about patient safety and quality issues and the barriers to improving those areas. Findings were published in the May/June issue of the group's journal, The Physician Executive.