Washington, DC (March 15, 2018) —Excessive administrative tasks are a diversion of physicians’ time and focus away from patient care, the American College of Physicians (ACP) told a panel of members of Congress this afternoon. Robert M. McLean, MD, FACP, an internist with the Northeast Medical Group of Yale New Haven Health System in New Haven, Ct. presented ACP’s ideas for how to address the burdensome administrative tasks physicians face to the first Red Tape Relief Initiative roundtable, convened by the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.
“I want to thank the House Ways and Means Committee for giving ACP an opportunity to address this issue—red tape and administrative burdens limit a physician’s ability to provide quality care to patients, and we are glad to have a seat at the table for this important conversation,” said Dr. Robert McLean. “It was encouraging to hear that Congress’s approach to getting rid of costly and burdensome red tape will emphasize the importance of reducing physician burn-out, as ACP has long identified reducing unnecessary administrative tasks as a priority.”
ACP’s Patients Before Paperwork initiative, which began in 2015, focuses on reinvigorating the patient-physician relationship by challenging administrative burdens that physicians face in practice. In March 2017, ACP published a foundational set of policy recommendations on reducing excessive administrative tasks. "Putting Patients First by Reducing Administrative Tasks in Health Care: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians" provides a cohesive framework for identifying and evaluating administrative tasks and outlines detailed recommendations to reduce excessive administrative tasks across the health care system.
“When physicians aren’t saddled with administrative burdens, it means they can spend more time and energy on their patients, focus on improving the quality of care, and ensure their patients are receiving timely and appropriate treatment,” said Dr. McLean. “ACP is committed to working with Congress and the administration to take concrete steps to help physicians and other medical professionals to reduce administrative tasks, and today’s roundtable was a great opportunity to share our approach with other leaders in Washington.”
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 152,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.
Contact: Julie Hirschhorn, (202) 261-4523, jhirschhorn@acponline.org