MSSC members share views on challenges

MSSC conducted an advocacy survey last month to find out more about what members are experiencing and what they think. It received 164 responses, which is about 16% of practicing members.

The first question asked what the top challenges were for you or your practice. Respondents could select up to three challenges.

The top three responses were Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates (61%), prior authorization (52%) and staffing (44%). Other leading answers were operating costs (36%), paperwork/electronic health records (33%), and medical misinformation and mistrust (28%).

The second question asked what the most effective tool was for advocating for physicians’ challenges at the local, state and national levels. Of the respondents, 37% said organized medical societies and professional associations were most effective, followed closely by direct physician engagement with lawmakers and policymakers (34%).

MSSC also asked what physicians think of the recent changes in the federal children’s vaccine schedule. Most members opposed the changes (59%), while 24% were unsure, and 16% supported the changes.

Large numbers of respondents, 87%, also said they were seeing more patients who were skeptical of vaccines and evidence-based medicine.

The survey offered an opportunity for physicians to share comments. The most comments were about misinformation and skepticism. For example, one person said, “The government has created chaos in vaccines, and the CDC and HHS can no longer be trusted with current administration.”

A few commented that evidence-based medicine can have its own biases and blamed vaccine overreach for contributing to the mistrust.

Other comments talked about low reimbursement rates and about how physicians need to change how they communicate. “We have got to start utilizing social media as our form of communication and drown out the misinformation,” one person said.