All articles tagged with #primary care
A new study from Karolinska Institutet introduces a simple blood test, called the CORE model, that can predict the risk of severe liver disease up to 10 years in advance, potentially enabling earlier intervention and treatment in primary healthcare settings.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is advocating for a reform in Medicare's physician compensation, which currently overpays specialists and underpays primary care doctors. This imbalance, influenced by the American Medical Association's Relative Value Scale Update Committee, contributes to a healthcare system focused on treating illness rather than prevention. Kennedy's proposal, supported by wellness entrepreneurs Calley and Casey Means, aims to shift resources towards primary care, a move that could face opposition from the GOP Doctor's Caucus but find support from left-leaning groups. The reform could potentially improve healthcare outcomes by adjusting the fee schedule to better value primary care services.
Portugal's health system, which emphasizes primary care and public health over expensive treatments, offers lessons for the U.S. as it grapples with high medical costs and declining health outcomes. Despite spending significantly less on healthcare, Portugal boasts a higher life expectancy and ranks highly in global health metrics. The country's approach includes a national health system providing low-cost care, innovative programs like "social prescribing," and a successful drug decriminalization policy. However, challenges remain, such as doctor shortages and long wait times for care.
Forward, a tech-enabled primary care company, has abruptly shut down its operations, closing locations and canceling appointments. The company, which raised $657 million and reached a $1 billion valuation, announced the closure on its website, affecting nearly 200 employees. Forward had recently introduced AI-based CarePods in various cities, aiming to expand its healthcare services. The company is providing guidance for patients to access their medical records and find new providers. This development marks a significant shift for the healthcare "unicorn" that sought to revolutionize primary care.
Congress is considering changes to the Medicare physician pay system for the first time since 2015, potentially reigniting conflicts between primary care doctors and specialists over payment rates. With Medicare proposing a 2.8% cut to its main physician pay rate next year, the urgency for reform has increased, putting pressure on physicians as Congress has previously scaled back but allowed some pay-rate reductions to proceed.
A new five-minute cognitive assessment tool, 5-Cog, embedded in electronic medical records, significantly improved dementia diagnosis and care in a clinical trial involving 1,200 predominantly Black and Hispanic older adults. The tool tripled the odds of receiving dementia-related care within 90 days compared to standard care, highlighting its potential to reduce barriers and improve follow-up care in primary care settings. The study was funded by the NIH and published in Nature Medicine.
Physicians are urging primary care doctors to address loneliness and social isolation during routine health visits and chronic disease management, as research shows these factors significantly impact health outcomes. The new guidance, published in the Annals of Family Medicine, emphasizes the importance of screening for social isolation and forming partnerships with community resources. Loneliness has been linked to various health issues, including depression, anxiety, and increased risks of heart disease and dementia. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach involving community support and tailored interventions.
A study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine reveals that loneliness has a more detrimental impact on the health of older adults than alcoholism, obesity, and smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. With 53% of older adults reporting feelings of loneliness, primary care clinicians are urged to screen for and address this issue, as it significantly affects physical and mental health. The study emphasizes the importance of interventions targeting loneliness, such as the Circle of Friends concept, and highlights the role of primary care practitioners in mitigating this issue, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States is facing a shortage of primary care doctors, leading to increased workloads and burnout among physicians. AI technology has the potential to alleviate this crisis by reducing administrative tasks, automating documentation, and suggesting treatment plans based on patient data. By allowing doctors to spend more time building relationships with patients, AI can make primary care a more sustainable and attractive profession, ultimately improving the overall healthcare experience for all.
Suicide in the U.S. is a growing public health crisis, with someone dying by suicide every 11 minutes and 1.7 million attempting it in 2021. Medical schools often fail to adequately address suicide, leaving future doctors ill-equipped to identify and treat suicidal patients. Stigma and shortage of mental health care contribute to the problem, with primary care physicians often being the first point of contact for those seeking mental health treatment. Training medical students to discuss suicide with patients and implementing universal suicide screening practices are crucial steps in addressing this urgent issue.
CVS CEO Karen Lynch discussed the company's expansion into primary care, highlighting recent acquisitions of Signify and Oak Street Health. Lynch emphasized the importance of primary care as a cornerstone of CVS's health services, particularly for seniors, and mentioned plans to close 900 stores and remove self-checkout from some locations. She also touched on efforts to drive competition and lower costs through Caremark, the company's subsidiary managing prescription drug benefits for health insurers.
The nationwide shortage of doctors and other primary care professionals is causing patients to lose trust in the healthcare system. The stress of the pandemic has led many healthcare workers to retire or quit, exacerbating the shortage. As patients are shuffled from one provider to another, their trust in the system is eroding. Community health centers, which serve the uninsured and vulnerable populations, have been hit particularly hard, with workforce attrition rates of up to 50%. The shortage of clinicians has also placed additional burdens on support staff, leading to labor unrest. The staffing shortages come at a time when community health centers are caring for more patients, making it difficult to meet patient demand. Urgent care visits are increasing as patients struggle to get appointments with their primary care providers, further straining the healthcare system.
The United States could face a shortage of 48,000 primary care doctors in the next decade, as the specialty is underpaid and medical residents are opting out. However, the CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians remains optimistic, stating that primary care has been declared dead or fading away multiple times in the past.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced the annual wellness visit (AWV) in 2011 to encourage preventive care and provide better reimbursement to primary care practices. However, a decade later, the value of the AWV is being questioned. Evidence of cost savings and improved health outcomes is lacking, and the visit process often sidelines patient concerns. Primary care practices have found ways to accommodate more AWVs, but this can strain appointment access and resources. Instead, innovative approaches like proactive outreach through patient portals and text messaging may be more effective in achieving preventive care goals. Enhanced reimbursement for non-procedural visits and progressive payment models that reward preventive care achievements would better serve primary care practices.
Nurse practitioners in Ohio are advocating for the lifting of restrictions on their ability to provide care, as they have graduate degrees and extensive clinical training that enables them to diagnose conditions, order tests, and prescribe medication. This push for expanded scope of practice aims to improve healthcare access and provide comprehensive care to patients.