Secrets to reviving physician autonomy

The podcast addresses the critical issue of physician autonomy and its impact on patient care and physician burnout. Internal medicine physician and coach Diane Shannon shares insights on how the loss of autonomy, driven by factors like prior authorizations and time constraints, leads to moral distress and compromises patient care. Specific examples include the inability to prescribe optimal medications and the emotional toll of being unable to alleviate patient suffering. Shannon suggests physicians proactively reclaim autonomy through strategies like pre-charting, batching interruptions, and setting boundaries. She shares a success story of a physician who regained work-life balance by implementing these techniques. The discussion also explores the need for collective action to address systemic issues like non-disclosure agreements that further restrict physician autonomy.