U.S. health care is causing patient burnout

Plus more health news |

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Long waits, short appointments, huge bills—and burned-out patients By Jamie Ducharme Health Correspondent Confession: I’ve lived in New York City for more than five years, and I still haven’t gotten around to finding a primary-care doctor here. The idea of searching for a provider who’s conveniently located, in my insurance network, and (perhaps hardest of all) accepting new patients makes my eyes glaze over. My own experience is just one small example of a phenomenon we’ve dubbed “patient burnout.” To put it bluntly, going to the doctor in the U.S. often sucks. Patients are tired of the long waits, rushed appointments, and high bills, and like I did, they’re responding by delaying or avoiding care entirely, which could have consequences for both individual and public health. There’s no easy solution to the problem. But, even without huge structural changes, the health care system could become more patient-centric. One burned-out patient suggested things like centralized medical-record databases that multiple providers could access and online directories of doctors currently accepting new patients. These innovations wouldn’t fix everything, she said, but they’d be a step in the right direction. READ MORE

What else to read People Who Think They’re Attractive Are Less Likely to Wear Masks, Study Says By Jamie Ducharme "Mask-fishing" is real, researchers find. Read More » Biden Administration Moves to Limit Telehealth Prescriptions for Some Drugs By AMANDA SEITZ and LINDSAY WHITEHURST / AP The proposal could overhaul the way millions of Americans get some prescriptions. Read More » This Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out, According to Science By Jamie Ducharme If you want to optimize your workouts to get the widest range of benefits, you might want to try exercising in the morning. (Originally published in 2019.) Read More » How to Maintain Your Social Life When You Have IBD By Elizabeth Millard Keeping connections strong can boost your health, but it's challenging when you're anxious about flare-ups. Read More » 6 Surprising Things You Think Are Making You Happy—But Are Doing the Opposite By Angela Haupt Chasing career success, dodging negative emotions, and living in a city all make the list. Read More »

ONE LAST READ The tattoos that were meant to fade—but still haven't Ephemeral—a chain of tattoo studios that use proprietary ink designed to fade out after about a year—is in trouble with customers following complaints about tattoos that have overstayed their welcome. The company has promised a full refund to anyone with ink still showing after three years, but the owners of many a smudged tattoo remain frustrated. As New York Times writer Callie Holtermann points out, tattoo ink is mostly unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read More »

If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here. Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and Haley Weiss, and edited by Angela Haupt.

Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters. Subscribe to TIME

TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice.   Connect with TIME via Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters       UNSUBSCRIBE     PRIVACY POLICY     YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS   TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508   Questions? Contact health@time.com   Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.