"Physicians - grumpy and getting grumpier"

By the numbers:

According to Sermo.com and their Physician Sentiment Index℠ (PSI):

- 64% of physicians cited the current healthcare climate as somewhat or very detrimental to their delivery of quality care

- Only 22% are optimistic about the ability of the American physician to practice independently or in small groups

- 59% are of the mind that the quality of medicine in America will decline in next five years; only 18% believe the quality of medicine will improve

- 53 percent believe pay-for-performance will have a negative/very negative impact on the effort required to get paid

Comments from Google Buzz:

Nicholas Genes - Sigh. This poll was comprised of 1000 docs on Sermo, which might very well be a self-selecting group of grumpy physicians. Also, this poll was sponsored by Aetna, an insurance organization with perhaps a vested interest in sabotaging health insurance reform and publicizing physicians' negative perceptions of health care. I wouldn't put too much weight on these results.

Ves Dimov, M.D. - Exactly. The title catches some of the sentiment of many doctors though.

Image source: sxc.hu