My county with a population of 260,000 has NO psychiatrist. Not one. Many states all over are experiencing the same provider shortages. Can you grow psychiatrists somewhere at an accelerated rate, like that clone army in Star Wars, and drop them randomly by plane throughout the United States? That would be a good start. They could be raised to believe indentured servitude is their destiny.
We should pay physicians for time spent engaging patients in conversation, instead of rewarding them for checking boxes on a computer screen. Physicians were trained to care and comfort people, not chase blood pressure numbers and pain scale scores. Changes masquerading as meaningful have only increased physician workload. We are widgets in the ever expanding assembly line. Do you think the MIPS will give us more time to practice medicine? If you believe it will, then I have a bridge to sell you.
