Value based payments.  Value based care.  Meaningful  use.  Is there a place for an independent doctor in a suburban location?  This article says that these and all the technology to go with them along with physician acceptance is “Inevitable”.

I have four physicians.  I don’t see a place for them long term.  My first is my Internist.  A few years ago he was given a cell phone as a gift.  It does all he will ever want.  If it rings, he answers it.  If he has to make a call, he dials the number.  He has no computers in his office.  All his files are paper.  As a Doctor he is recognized as one of the best in the state. EHR is not in his future.  Phones, fax, copier suit him just fine.  The article that raised these questions for me was a report from Deloitte.  You might end up with some of the same questions after reading it. 

My second physician has been using EHR for as long as I have known him.  He has 2 offices and four other doctors working for him.  He needs the technology.  He hates it, upgrades only when he has to and would never do it again.  He is also recognizes as one of the best in the state.  His daughter is now in her residency and will join him next year.  My gut feel is that in 3-4 years he turns the business over to her, let’s her worry about it and sails off into the sunset.

My radiation oncologist was great.  He treated me 8 years ago.  My last visit with him was 4 years ago.  The company he worked for terminated him for not generating enough revenue.  His waiting room was always filled but with little to no wait.  His staff was great and could have easily made more money by moving to a large city.  They, like he, enjoyed the suburban life.  All were dumbfounded when he was terminated.  They also learned that for this big city practice, profit was the only incentive.  He’s in FL now, out in the sticks and owns his own practice.

Doctor #4 is a general surgeon.  He is probably the only one that could/would survive in the “inevitable market”.  His office is at the medical arts building at the local hospital.  There are 3 other surgeons in his practice.  He has a fairly up to date computer system,  though not in his location and not compatible with the hospitals new system.  I know that his definition of value based anything and mine differ.  On my last visit he kept me waiting for 45 minutes because lunch went longer than scheduled.  He’s all business.

For 3 of these 4 I see the choice of conforming and or selling out.  They are all rated in the top 25 physicians in the state.  They are not going to increase their patient base to increase revenue.

I am sure that Doctor #4 will succeed. He is all and only …read more

Source:: http://www.emrandhipaa.com/paul/2015/01/28/what-is-the-future-for-rural-physicians-is-there-one/