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A recent article in The Sacramento Bee reported that California is set to become the first state to impose timely access rules on HMOs and other health care providers. The proposed rules will require primary care physicians to see patients within 10 days for non-urgent problems. Specialists will be have to see patients within 15 days of an appointment request, and patients needing urgent care must be seen within two days.

Merritt Hawkins recently conducted its 2009 Physician Appointment Wait Time Survey. The survey of 1,162 medical offices tracked the average time needed to schedule a doctor appointment with physicians in cardiology, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and family practice in 15 large metropolitan areas. Physician appointment wait times tracked in the survey varied from as little as one day up to one year.

According to the findings of the survey, the average wait to see a doctor in many cities is higher than the number of days imposed by the timely access rules. This means the new rules could increase the need for both permanent and temporary physicians if states seek similar rules to what California is enacting this year.

What do you think about physician appointment wait times? Do you agree with the implementation of the new timely access rules in California ? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Submit your comments below and let others in the industry know what you think.

The complete results of the 2009 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times can be found here.

An article in the April issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, the magazine of the American Hospital Association, notes that some hospitals are using electronic medical records (EMRs) as a key selling point to physician candidates. The article cites Merritt Hawkins & Associates’ Senior Vice President of Business Development, Kurt Mosley, and describes how EMRs and other technologies can help physicians perform their jobs more effectively and also enhance their lifestyles. You can read the full article by clicking here.

We’d like to hear your thoughts regarding EMRs and physician recruitment. As a physician, do you view EMRs and similar technology as important factors in your decision to accept or reject an offered position? Are you more likely to accept a position at a practice or facility with advanced technologies like EMRs? How do EMRs affect your work and lifestyle? Please share your thoughts with us by posting your comments below.