Helping physicians cope with RBRVS

Hospital administrators have long recognized the importance of strong ties with medical staff. Implementation of the resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) has disrupted the normal practice of physicians and has placed renewed stress upon the hospital-physician relationship. Hospital administrators can use their expertise to help physicians offset revenue losses incurred under this payment reform. Such an approach is logical and will benefit all parties involved, because it will enhance physician-facility relations and augment facility credibility. In this article, RBRVS is examined in terms of its impact on physicians, hospitals, and the relationship between the two. Financial management strategies are identified that can assist physicians to increase practice efficiency and cost containment to remedy potential revenue reductions caused by the implementation of RBRVS.