Economic Uncertainty and IT Among Major Concerns of Medical Practice Managers

The Medical Group Management Association, or MGMA, recently released results of a member survey about the challenges facing medical group managers. The top five challenges the organization's members named were:

• Maintaining physician compensation in an environment of declining reimbursement.
• Dealing with operating costs that are rising more rapidly than revenue.
• Selecting and implementing an electronic health record system.
• Recruiting physicians.
• Managing finances with the uncertainty of Medicare reimbursement rates.

Approximately 1,400 members responded to the survey, which was conducted online in March 2008. MGMA is based in Englewood, Colo.