What’s keeping physicians awake at night?

The boom in quality measures has many physicians worried about the impact on quality of care, but fewer have problems with health care IT systems.

That’s according a new survey conducted by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation. The survey found that half of physicians think that the increased use of quality metrics has a “negative impact” on quality of care. Less than one-quarter (22%) of surveyed physicians said they view quality metrics as a good thing.

According to an article in AAFP News, the worst-case scenario goes something like this: By focusing too much on a particular metric like diabetic care, physicians may miss other problems with a patient. When physicians are so focused on meeting metrics, the thinking goes, they may miss the big picture.

“There is so much emphasis placed on measurement that it becomes a burden that takes away from caring for the patient,” explains AAFP President Robert Wergin, MD.

While health care IT systems often get a bad rap, the survey found that only 28% of physicians say the technology has a negative impact on their practices. Surprisingly, half of physicians say that health IT systems have a positive impact on patient care.

The survey also found that physicians are concerned about consolidation in health care. Nearly one-fifth (17%) of physicians responding to the survey reported that their practices were purchased by or merged with a larger practice or health system in the last two years.