Saturday, August 01, 2009

Pennsylvania: Pediatricians and Paperwork

Published on July 27, 2009 in THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.

Summer's no vacation for pediatricians

Pediatricians know it's summer when the health forms start piling up.

For everything from day care and camps to college and driver's license applications, each form asks different questions and often requires handwritten answers.

"It's overwhelming, particularly in the summer" when camps, school, and sports seasons converge, says Jeffrey Bomze, a pediatrician whose Bryn Mawr practice sees around 3,000 patients a year. "It's not just a signature and out the door."

Every year, pediatricians typically see about 95 patients per week, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. At nearly 5,000 patients per year, four health forms per child, and about eight minutes per form, that means one person could spend 333 workdays a year on health forms alone.

And it's getting worse.

Read the full story here.

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