2017 Resolutions for Physicians, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners

As 2016 comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about the future. That’s right, it’s time for physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to make their New Year’s resolutions. 

Here’s a look at what you should resolve to accomplish in 2017:

Get on board the mHealth bandwagon

mHealth stands for “mobile health,” and it just might represent the future of health care. 

Right now, nearly 70 percent of all adults in the United States have smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center — and many of these people are using mobile apps to access their medical information, research illnesses and ailments and connect with their physicians. 

mHealth represents an incredible opportunity for physicians to improve efficiency, communications and outcomes. It also offers opportunities for you to grow your practice and keep costs under control. 

For these reasons (and more), the health care app industry is growing incredibly quickly. 

If you are not currently riding along on the mHealth bandwagon, resolve to get on board in 2017. Your patients and your practice will thank you for it. 

Partner with your patients

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when physicians and their teams were clearly in control of nearly every health care conversation. Patients were incredibly deferential (almost to a fault) to their doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. 

Those days are over. 

Today, patients have much more control over their health care. Because patients are paying more for their care, they’re asking more questions, raising expectations and making more decisions about what type of care they receive. 

That’s why you have to partner with your patients. 

Make it as easy as possible for them to access their medical information. Include them in your decision-making process. Create a comfortable and welcoming environment for patients–both literally and figuratively. 

When you partner with your patients, you increase the likelihood that they will choose you for their medical needs–and recommend you to their friends and family. 

Consider a community hospital

If you’re being honest with yourself, it would be easy to admit that you have wondered what it would be like to work at a community hospital. 

You’ve heard the stories about physicians who have the freedom to work on all sorts of interesting cases without having to defer to teams of more senior doctors. You’ve talked to physician assistants who are trusted to use their expanded functions. You’ve read articles about nurse practitioners who are always treated as critically important parts of their medical teams.

And all of these stories have come out community hospitals.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to work in an environment that offers health care professionals more opportunities and less bureaucracy, 2017 is the time to consider taking your career to a community hospital.