One of the key points we emphasize is the time lost when haggling with mountainous paperwork, executive complications, and legacy issues within the healthcare system. As is, the medical realm is already overburdened and overworked, with overtime a serious problem leading to severe burnout. This results in eroded patient care, delays in care, and doctors spending more time on paperwork than with patients.
As is, this has led to serious financial costs across the healthcare space, even back in 2017. In the United States, Americans are no strangers to severe medical bills, where an average five-day hospital visit can average $34,000 depending on the conditions, treatment, and immediate care needs. But that’s the direct medical side; indirectly, the paperwork, bureaucratic, and executive aspect of healthcare escalated well beyond $800 billion. Combined with insurance costs, it’s easy to see where the financial pressure comes from.
Why are costs so high?
The reality of discussing medical expenses in the US will always involve insurance premiums and industry charges. Compared to Canada, for example, US citizens pay four times more in healthcare expenses than their northern neighbors. An oversimplified explanation is that in Canada, most insurance offerings are single-payer systems – outside of specialist care. But in the States, Americans pay vastly higher premiums for more executive paperwork, higher priced meds, harsher deductibles, and crippling premiums.
The root of the problem in the US is there’s no universal healthcare model, but that’s a big discussion – and here we’re focusing on the paperwork, record, and bureaucratic aspect of healthcare costs. Administration costs are also amplified in US healthcare, due to multiple bills and payments (insurance, copay, the insured) along with stipulations and agreements imposed by insurance providers. Unsurprisingly, the involvement of private insurers and plans has increased overhead for individual healthcare costs.
How can we reduce these costs?
We’re of course taking a very passing, brief look into the cost factors for the entire healthcare system. Once again, if the US wants to see significant decreases in expenses, administrative and otherwise, serious changes need to be made.
Unfortunately, our services nor the Dragon Medical One dictation software have no such power to adjust the entire US healthcare system. But, there are potential ways to cut into costly record-based factors and reduce the overhead associated with administrative demands. Primarily, it’s about saving time and dealing with paperwork demands in an expedited, efficient manner.
Changes in healthcare administration requirements are on a case-by-case basis. But on the clinician and doctor side, there are things professionals can take advantage of to reduce paperwork-associated barriers. Using accurate dictation software, for example, addresses the time languished electronic medical records. Or, more specifically, recording the details of their condition, medication, and treatment plan.
As you know, Dragon Medical One dictation software readily helps with this. Various smart functions like templates seamlessly combine with compatible smartphones and programmable microphones, so doctors can spend more time with the human element, rather than dealing with extraneous paperwork. Will that solve the hundreds of millions in costs associated with insurance premiums, care, and medical costs? No – but, it saves you and your patient precious time, allowing you to see more individuals in a reasonable timeframe, and reduces the need for administrative paperwork.
Reducing the need for corrections, paperwork filing, and the general load of recording details is a massive burden relief for practicing professionals, and yes, will eliminate time-based costs, at least in some meaningful capacity. As for US healthcare, prices will continue to rise in every aspect without alterations in the system.
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