In the world of healthcare, physicians are under constant pressure to treat patients, often working long hours to deliver high-quality care consistently. Diagnosing diseases, conducting operations, and reassuring anxious patients can take their toll, and are just some of the duties that a physician has to deal with. It’s only natural that after a long day at the clinic, physicians would love to go home to their families, instead of filling out tedious timesheets. However, if these administrative duties are not maintained, it could lead to incorrect remuneration.
Timesheets are not only tedious to fill out, but several other reasons make physicians procrastinate on the process. We will delve into a few of these challenges and also suggest ways in which HR departments can improve the payroll process for physicians.
When physicians take the Hippocratic oath, they are serving humanity while upholding medical integrity by providing the highest standard of care. However, filling out timesheets can take away considerable time from caring for patients, which creates a challenge. Over the course of a few weeks, a significant chunk of patients' time can be lost to timesheets. Physicians would prefer to focus on patients to improve outcomes and build trust, but have to face this dilemma constantly.
Fix: The latest time-tracking software can be used to empower physicians. These tools can sync with electronic health records and provide geo-fencing in hospitals.
Physicians have spent years in medical college, staying up until all hours, submitting assignments, and studying for exams. This has led to a rewarding career in the medical industry, making patients feel better by curing their ailments. However, the repetitive nature of filling out timesheets can feel demeaning for this respected profession.
Fix: Implementing apps that support voice dictation, smart auto-suggestion, and pre-filled templates can free up physicians' time considerably.
Filling out timesheets can lead to a feeling of resentment among physicians, who feel that they are not trusted by administrators. This constant micromanaging of hours can create tensions within the workplace and even lead to stand-offs that require unions to resolve. Administrators must remember that the work of physicians caring for patients is not something that can be easily quantified in terms of hours. Experience counts when it comes to diagnosing patients and providing effective treatments to ensure that they are on the mend.
Fix: Implement check-in/check-out punching systems that are transparent and help physicians to track their time without having to sit at the end of a busy shift to calculate their working hours.
While most physicians put their heart and soul into curing patients, they may not have a passion for numbers. This could lead to errors recorded in timesheets, which means that physicians could be underpaid or overpaid for their time. Calculating timesheets at the end of a busy day could lead to forgetting the correct working hours. Medical emergencies have to be prioritised over filling out tedious paperwork for physicians.
Fix: Implementing wearable devices for real-time capture can help physicians, although they would need thorough training to ensure that they can use the technologies adequately. This will prevent errors in calculating pay and sharing key data.
Often, hospitals use the tried-and-tested methods of functioning, which could lead to inefficiencies in areas like payroll. Hospitals need to be receptive to adopting new technologies that can make their systems more effective and free up valuable patient time for physicians.
Fix: Physician compensation management software offers automated apps that can maintain audit readiness, improve compliance, and manage physician payments easily.
If medical professionals, including physicians and nurses, are constantly put under pressure to fill out timesheets and provide data during shifts, it can lead to stressful situations and eventually burnout. This can have detrimental effects on the medical ecosystem, where physicians are unable to see their patients.
Fix: Delegate unnecessary duties to medical scribes who can do the heavy lifting for physicians. This will greatly reduce the burden that physicians face when carrying out their day-to-day duties.
Modern technology can reduce administrative burdens for physicians, including timesheets, which eat up their precious time and create trade-offs. To overcome the tedious nature of timesheets for physicians, it's essential to be proactive in adopting efficient processes and technologies. This can prevent burnout for physicians and ensure that they can get back to what they love doing. As medical insurance becomes more expensive, hospital stakeholders can help put smiles back on faces, one patient at a time, by reducing physicians’ administrative workload.