| Since the 1970's, the physician and patient ratio | | | | much more. |
| has been steadily increasing across the country. | | | | 5. Hire more Nurse Practitioners: A Nurse |
| The result of the increase is much less time spent | | | | Practitioner is a registered nurse that acquired |
| with patients. This can result in errors in diagnosis, | | | | additional education and training to carry out some |
| a loss in developing a personal trust with the | | | | of the tasks normally performed by a doctor. |
| patient, and patients not receiving proper medical | | | | This can include: treating illnesses and injuries such |
| care. However, there are a number of ways to | | | | as bandaging, performing physical exams and |
| improve physician to patient ratio which will result | | | | screening, and diagnostic work. |
| in more time spent with the patient, more time | | | | 6. Update hospitals with modern technology to |
| on preventive care, improving medical care, and | | | | help reduce non patient duties. This can include |
| developing better relationships between the | | | | creating electronic patient files and other |
| doctor and patient. | | | | important electronic documents and files. |
| Ways to improve the physician to patient ratio: | | | | Computer orientated patient management can |
| 1. Arrange for physician schedules to be more | | | | drastically cut down on time away from the |
| consistent. For instance, schedule physicians to | | | | patient. Physicians will have more time to focus on |
| work 3 or 4 days consecutively instead of | | | | their patients. |
| varying 'off and on' days. There can often be | | | | 7. Streamline business operations, particular |
| much time and expense wasted during doctor | | | | reducing time dealing with health insurance |
| transitions. As well, a doctor on a set schedule will | | | | companies. Physicians can spend many hours each |
| spend more time with a particular patient. | | | | day on the phone with their patients' health |
| 2. Improve physician communication with staff | | | | insurance providers. Create a website that allows |
| and other physicians when they are scheduled for | | | | doctors to enter in a patient's health plan and |
| their days off. This includes making use of | | | | identification number which will pull up the patients |
| modern technology such as email and websites to | | | | file containing what treatments and procedures |
| update the staff about patients. | | | | are covered by their insurance provider. |
| 3. Talk to physicians about the benefits of | | | | Patients do not always understand why they see |
| maintaining a consistent schedule as it applies to | | | | a doctor for 5 minutes or why they see several |
| patient care. Engage the physician to come up | | | | doctors during a brief stay in the hospital. Doctors |
| with a positive and effective agreement to | | | | have a lot of added burdens outside the care of |
| implement a more effective schedule that | | | | their patients. As well, less time with patients can |
| benefits patient care. | | | | result in poor quality patient care, a higher chance |
| 4. Hire more Physician Assistants. These | | | | of making a medical error, and even making an |
| assistances are able to perform many of the | | | | error when writing prescriptions. It is important to |
| tasks normally performed by doctors. This can | | | | find and implement measures to increase the |
| include diagnosing and prescribing medical | | | | physician and patient ratio as it will benefit the |
| treatments, arranging for diagnostic tests, | | | | medical care industry as well as the doctors and |
| preventive care counseling, writing medical | | | | their patients. |
| prescriptions, performing physical exams, and | | | | |