About half of doctors surveyed say they’ve felt symptoms of physician burnout., katleho Seisa, Getty Images

Doctors Say They Face ‘Moral Injury’ Because of a Business Model that Interferes with Patient Care

Physician Keith Corl was working in a Las Vegas emergency room when a patient arrived with chest pain. The patient, wearing his street clothes, had a two-minute exam in the triage area with a doctor, who ordered an X-ray and several other tests. But later, in the treatment area, when Corl met the man and lifted his shirt, it was clear the patient had shingles. Corl didn’t need any tests to diagnose the viral infection that causes a rash and searing pain.

All those tests? They turned out to be unnecessary, but left the patient with over $1,000 in extra charges. The excessive testing, Corl said, stemmed from a model…