Essay Example on the Physicians Underpayment

Orthopedic 443,000

Plastic Surgery 355,000

General Doctors, on the other hand, earn as little as 183,000USD in a year. Importantly, physicians are the most highly trained people in the healthcare industry. Without them, the services delivered to children, patients with skin illnesses, and those in emergency situations, among others will be curtailed. It is appalling to note that most of their salaries do not match the type of work they do. Consider for instance the services offered by a radiologist. They require adequate knowledge of X-ray machines, magnetic resonance imagers, and ultrasound equipment. On a typical day, they are likely to apply their skills to more than three patients. Since procedures such as cardiovascular radiology are time-consuming and sensitive, these physicians dedicate most of their time to such patients so that whatever diagnosis is made is befitting to the patients condition. The danger that these individuals are exposed to due to the hazardous nature of this radiology equipment is worth noting. Arguably, such detailed care can never be equated to managerial roles. For that matter, it is unfair to offer such a specialist a minute share of their hard-earned money while a CEO cashes in massive amounts. The figures captured in the table above cannot match those of the CEOs and hospital administrators whose role is primarily administrative.

Effects of Inconsistencies in Financial Rewards

These inconsistencies are the exact definition of healthcare misappropriation. One of the ways to which medical practitioners are appreciated is through financial rewards. A small package is often directly proportional to the service appreciation hence the general feeling that physicians morale is under duress. When they feel unappreciated, they are likely not to care about adequate health care. An underpaid doctor is a disgruntled person who may not efficiently deliver the services expected from him. While a patient is unable to tell a physicians state of mind, the doctors feelings about the services that they offer to the patient have a great impact on the kind of judgment that they make. When negativity runs in the system, doctors begin delivering poor services in the areas where they are underpaid and rush to other sectors such as private clinics where they dictate the pricing. Physicians are likely to find no joy and fulfillment in attending to patients, and this may lead to cases of delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Consequently, the quality of a countrys healthcare services is compromised.

Underpayment attracts strikes that are aimed at protesting such an injustice. The world over, doctors have gone on strike due to low pay packages. Recently, the doctors in one of the developing countries in Africa went on an almost four-month-long strike, and one of the reasons for this go-slow was insufficient salaries. The lowest paid doctor in this country, at the time of the protest, was a paltry 1260USD. It is unfair that doctors work long hours attending to patients different needs only to receive salaries that are not befitting to their jobs. When doctors and physicians down their tools, patients are affected. Unattended emergency cases often result in death. Pregnant women are forced to deliver without the help of ob-gyns consequently putting their babies lives at risk. In such a case, the administrative role of the CEO becomes obsolete without the necessary workforce to facilitate the running of the hospital. If the CEO had ensured that the hospital was fully equipped with the state-of-the-art technology, it would be useless when the specialist is on strike citing insufficient payment.

Since one of the qualifications required of a hospital CEO is that they be from a medical background, healthcare providers may be tempted to jump ship. They may decide to abandon their duties as physicians and instead pursue administrative courses which will facilitate a career shift so that they can get better pay. As it is, the patient to doctor ratio is strained. The available physicians are unable to handle the ever-increasing number of patients. In fact, patients often complain about the little time that doctors spend attending to their individual cases. If these specialists decide to quit active practice, the few physicians left will be a strained lot. If their financial appreciation packages stagnate, it may be impossible to convince these healthcare providers to keep up with their good work without a better financial compensation.

Possible Solutions

This kind of healthcare misappropriation should be curbed, and it is necessary that guidelines on the issued governing payment be reviewed. There should be a directive that influences the factors that will determine the amount of monetary appreciation accorded to doctors and physicians. Since the healthcare industry is service-oriented, it is possible to implement a pay-for-performance method that affects anybody who is employed in the medical field. This pay-for-performance formula should cover both CEOs and health care providers. In this model, any payment will be made based on the performance of these CEOs and health care workers. Goals that are relevant to an individuals job description should be set. For instance, the CEO should ensure that the hospital to which they are affiliated upholds the established policies and procedures. A particular pay package is then specified as compensation if the CEO achieves this goal. Healthcare givers, on the other hand, ought to ensure that the kind of care that they give to patients is evidence-based and acceptable; failure to which, they attract penalties. Additionally, the healthcare fraternity should be allowed to air their views on the meaning of evidence-based care and the expected outcomes to avoid any looming associated disputes. Issues such as the implications of recurrence of a patients illness even after evidence-based care has been accorded are expected and should, therefore, be democratically streamlined for clarity purposes. Only then will it be possible to distribute funds that originate directly from the patients equitably. When people are paid according to their efforts, it implies that their services are appreciable. Physicians and CEOs will then work in tandem to ensure that they deservedly earn their cuts.

Another possible solution to inconsistencies in financial rewards would be to have a blanket payment system where each is paid according to the hours that they work. However, this method may be laced with inconsistencie...