*At least 1 in 20 US adults are misdiagnosed*
According to a recently published study in BMJ Quality and Safety.
Unlike previous studies that reviewed only malpractice cases, they actually reviewed patient charts for multiple visits (a more realistic snapshot) and saw who had been diagnosed improperly the first time and had to return again and again to get proper treatment.
The study authors admit that even this method underestimates patients who are lost to follow-up or who just give up or turn to alternative treatments.
The authors also conclude roughly half of these misdiagnosis lead to harmful outcomes for the patients.
http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2014/04/04/bmjqs-2013-002627.abstract
*Physician salary is still largely based on number of patients they see per day*
In a survey released by Medscape of physicians, almost half (47%) of the physicians asked, stated that they see between 76 and 200 patients a week. Most physicians spend less than 40 hours a week seeing patients (other time is spent on administrative duties).
And guess which type of doctor is the most overloaded? The gatekeeper for the specialists and the pathway to diagnosis! (see study above)
According to the CDC, the annual visit load for your primary care physician is 30% higher than for specialists. This is in part, due to physician shortages across the US, particularly in primary care.
In spite of payment reforms related to the Affordable Care Act, how much money a practice makes is still generated by how many patients a physician sees per hour! Medicare is known to have lowered fees, private insurers are also paying less, particularly to small practices without any strong influence. The Medscape survey has found that this has led to a drop in job satisfaction for physcians, not surprisingly.
http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/compensation/2014/public/overview#18
If misdiagnosis and 5-minute office visits become the status quo, treatment is delayed, patient out-of-pocket costs skyrocket, inappropriate treatment is given, medications that actually could help are not taken, and non-pharmaceutical options are not explored. Both the patient and the physician are feeling the frustration of this process.