| physician_depression_its_time_to_care_for_our_own | Physician depression: It's time to care for our own | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Weekly_Rounds/2018/physician_depression_its_time_to_care_for_our_own | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right"><img alt="" src="/images/HeadShots/Hanscom.Jennifer_2018-645x425.png" class="pull-right" /></div>
<h5>August 13, 2018</h5>
<h2>Physician depression: It's time to care for our own</h2>
<p>Jennifer Hanscom, Executive Director/CEO</p>
<p>
The headlines, such as in <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/31/634217947/to-prevent-doctor-suicides-medical-industry-rethinks-how-doctors-work">this story</a> that ran on NPR last week, are alarming. If we needed a wake-up call, this is it. The data show that physicians suffer from higher rates of burnout, depression and suicide than the general population. And yet we know, better than most people, the result of untreated or inadequately treated depression.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA has long been concerned about this, which is why we launched our Healthy Doctors, Healthier Patients initiative in 2014. That effort embraced the concept of the Quadruple Aim, adding a fourth component of improving the work life of clinicians and staff to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aim (improving care quality, improving population health and lowering costs).
</p>
<p>
We worked to address an area that is known to cause physicians to feel overwhelmed: administrative burden. For the past several years, our advocacy agenda focused on reducing that burden, improving workflow and finding efficiencies in health care. We've made solid progress (<a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/Resources/Administrative_Simplification/Healthy_Doctors__Healthier_Patients/Healthy_Doctors__Healthier_Patients.aspx">read more here</a>), but must continue to be vigilant in warding off efforts that add documentation and bureaucratic tasks to already overloaded physicians.
</p>
<p>
The external pressures heaped upon physicians by government, insurance companies and regulatory entities steal time from patient care. A <a href="http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2546704/allocation-physician-time-ambulatory-practice-time-motion-study-4-specialties">study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine</a> shows that for every hour of face-to-face patient care, a physician spends up to two hours entering data in electronic medical records, filling out forms, sorting through pharmacy formularies and dealing with prior authorization. Add to that reduced payments, endless quality measures, data reporting and regulatory mandates and it's little wonder that physicians are feeling the pain.
</p>
<p>
Sarri Gilman, a marriage and family therapist, speaker and author, describes this as "overwhelm"—a state of having too much to do, too many expectations, too many unsolvable problems and too many issues at home. She differentiates overwhelm from burnout: Physicians often are told they are burned out ("it's your responsibility to fix it"), rather than leaders and systems recognizing that they are overwhelming their medical staff and employees ("it's our responsibility to fix it together").
</p>
<p>
She contends that overwhelm must be addressed to improve physician wellness. Overwhelm impacts thinking, planning and decision-making—behaviors critical to providing quality care to patients. If left unaddressed, we put patients at risk. (Read more in the <a href="https://wsma.org/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/WSMA_Reports_Archive/WSMA/News_Publications/Publications/WSMA_Reports_Archive/WSMA_Reports_Archive.aspx?hkey=d3cb4400-8f2b-4fd4-9e4f-f970296623b3">July/August issue of WSMA Reports</a>, pp 4-5.)
</p>
<p>
Beyond the tragic toll of depression and suicide risks, there is also reduced productivity, clinical inefficiency, medical mistakes, increased malpractice risks, negative health outcomes, reduced patient satisfaction, poor compliance with self-care and dysfunctional teams. And there is a documented financial price as well: The data show that 40 percent of doctors who are burned out are more likely to change jobs. According to a <a href="http://wellmd.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/wellmd/documents/2017-ACPH-Hamidi.pdf" target="_blank">Stanford Medicine study</a>, that costs the business between $270,000 and $1 million per person who leaves, depending on specialty and practice setting.
</p>
<p>
Even so, it's impossible to put a price on the well-being of the physician community. This is a caring profession—shouldn't we first take care of our own to ensure we are well enough to care for others?
</p>
<p>
At the WSMA we definitely think so. We are taking action now through the WSMA Foundation to identify areas we can target for improvement initiatives. As a first step, the WSMA is partnering with the Washington State Hospital Association and Stanford Medicine to launch a unique survey that will provide baseline data in Washington state for overwhelm, burnout and professional well-being for physicians, PAs and ARNPs.
</p>
<p>
The Physician and Advanced Practitioner Wellness Survey will launch shortly, reaching health care professionals across the state. It is specifically crafted to help us understand how you are impacted by variables such as the EHR, control over your schedule, leadership and workload. The information we gather will drive initiatives to achieve tangible change that improves your well-being, professional satisfaction and personal fulfillment in your work.
</p>
<p>
When you receive the survey email from <a href="mailto:physician_wellness@stanford.edu">physician_wellness@stanford.edu</a>, I hope you will take 15 minutes to complete it. To have credible data that can be used to promote wellness and professional fulfillment, we need at least a 65 percent response rate. I'll report back to you here and in other WSMA communications on what we learn and what we'll strive to do about it.
</p>
<p>
We're used to facing life-and-death situations in our profession. With one in two doctors currently experiencing burnout and signs of being overwhelmed, it's time to act.
</p>
</div> | 8/13/2018 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| court_sides_with_wsma_in_case_scrutinizing_standards_for_expert_testimony | Court sides with WSMA in case scrutinizing standards for expert testimony | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20180808/court_sides_with_wsma_in_case_scrutinizing_standards_for_expert_testimony | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/News/Supreme_Court_Oly_TempleofJustice_lores_645x425.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
August 8, 2018
</h5>
<h2>Court sides with WSMA in case scrutinizing standards for expert testimony</h2>
<p>
In a 7-2 decision favoring WSMA's position, the Washington State Supreme Court handed down a ruling in Reyes v. Yakima Health District that found a declaration from the plaintiff's expert witness insufficient to establish medical negligence. This is important because the case could have lowered the standards for pretrial statements from expert witnesses regarding the standard of care in medical malpractice cases.
</p>
<p>
In this case, brought against a treating physician and the Yakima Health District, an expert witness for the plaintiff submitted a declaration stating that the physician violated the standard of care, yet failed to specify what the standard of care in the case should have been.
</p>
<p>
The trial court had granted summary judgment for the defendants on the medical malpractice claim and on the other claims. The court of appeals had upheld that decision. When the state Supreme Court decided to take up the case, we submitted a brief urging the court to do the same.
</p>
<p>
We were pleased to see the court side with our arguments, ultimately deciding that an expert witness' declaration must state the standard of care before concluding that the defendant had violated said standard. The WSMA, joined by the American Medical Association, the Washington Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and supported by Physicians Insurance, submitted a brief in the case urging, among other things, for the court to preserve the current standards, and we are pleased to see the court do so.
</p>
<p>
For questions on this case, contact Tierney Edwards, JD, at <a href="mailto:tee@wsma.org">tee@wsma.org</a> or Denny Maher, MD, JD, at <a href="mailto:denny@wsma.org">denny@wsma.org</a>.
</p>
</div> | 8/8/2018 5:23:58 PM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| Blue_wave__looming__Primary_election_results_favor_Democrats | Blue wave looming? Primary election results favor Democrats | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/Membership_Memo/20180808/Blue_wave__looming__Primary_election_results_favor_Democrats | <div class="col-md-12">
<div class="col-md-5 pull-right" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="/images/People%20non%20stock/Schrier_LS_2018_caption2_645px.jpg" class="pull-right" />
</div>
<h5>
August 8, 2018
</h5>
<h2>Blue wave looming? Primary election results favor Democrats</h2>
<p>
For months, the talk among political insiders has been whether we'd see a "blue wave" sweep more Democrats into office this year. The notion is that the party out of power at the federal level tends to make gains in midterm elections when there's no presidential election on the ballot. It's too soon to make definitive statements, but Republicans would do well to head for higher ground based on early primary election returns posted on Tuesday.
</p>
<p>
In essence, the primary election is a massive statewide political poll. And as we learned in 2016, it’s dangerous to put too much stock into polls. Not all primary ballots have been counted yet, and there’s a lot of time between now and the general election in November. But even with those caveats, it’s tough to read the primary results as anything other than the potential of a blue wave looming in November.
</p>
<p>
At the time of this writing, Republicans are trailing in 17 House races where they currently hold seats, in addition to four Senate races. For historical context, if Republicans were to lose 17 House seats it would put them at their smallest contingent in Olympia since 1941. Three Republican congressional seats also look to be at least closely contested, if not in jeopardy.
</p>
<p>
The WSMA has been closely watching the open-seat race in the state’s 8th Congressional District, being vacated by Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Auburn). Two Democratic physician candidates—Dr. Kim Schrier and Dr. Shannon Hader—faced off there in a crowded primary. Schrier currently leads the Democrats slightly, with a 1,000-vote advantage over attorney Jason Rittereiser, and 5,000 over Hader. The winner of that primary will advance to the general election against Republican Dino Rossi, a former state senator and gubernatorial candidate.
</p>
<p>
There are several state legislative districts where Republicans are in jeopardy of losing multiple seats. Republicans are trailing in two House races each in the Issaquah-area 5th District and Puyallup-area 25th District where they currently hold seats. The 26th District on the Kitsap Peninsula looks to feature close races for both House seats and the Senate slot. Ditto for Whatcom County’s 42nd District and Spokane Valley’s 6th District, both of which last sent a Democrat to Olympia in 2011.
</p>
<p>
It’s worth repeating that there are important caveats to keep in mind. Not all ballots have been counted, and late-arriving returns have often (though not always) favored Republicans in recent years. But we also know that turnout will likely be much higher in the general election, and higher turnout tends to benefit Democrats.
</p>
<p>
A lot can change between now and the general election on Nov. 6. But for Republicans to weather this storm and maintain any semblance of balance in Olympia next session, they may have to learn how to ride a blue wave.
</p>
<p>
<em>This primary update comes courtesy of WAMPAC, WSMA's nonpartisan campaign arm. <a href="[@]WSMA/Advocacy/WAMPAC/WAMPAC.aspx">Learn more about WAMPAC and how it supports the house of medicine</a>.</em></p>
</div> | 8/8/2018 2:47:28 PM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |