Researchers developed and validated two risk measurement tools to estimate hospitalised COVID-19 patient mortality rates. The COVID-NoLab and COVID-SimpleLab models can predict mortality with reasonable accuracy, helping clinicians identify low-risk patients for outpatient management.
Patients who received treatment in Spanish were twice as likely to be abstinent at six months compared to those treated in English. Receipt of nicotine replacement therapy increased abstinence rates for all patients, regardless of language preference.
Researchers developed a spreadsheet tool to analyze large comment samples and identify themes within patient comments. The HCP Review Comment Analysis Tool allows providers to easily analyze patient comments and identify actionable measures of patient satisfaction, providing insights into specific actions by healthcare practitioners.
Researchers propose six competency domains for AI use in primary care: foundational knowledge, critical appraisal, medical decision making, technical use, patient communication, and awareness of unintended consequences. These competencies aim to harness AI's potential for patient and societal benefit.
Researchers found that acknowledging physicians' efforts with letters and certificates improved tobacco cessation e-referral rates after a January 2022 rollout. Providing access to accurate EHR data can also enhance clinical outcomes in vulnerable populations.
A quality improvement project implemented by primary care providers increased the use of telehealth consultations among military veterans experiencing homelessness. The proportion of video visits doubled from 4.8% to 10.3% over 16 weeks, continuing to rise during the following month.
Researchers found that 3.1% of Ontario family physicians stopped working in the first six months of the pandemic, with higher rates among older physicians and those with smaller patient panels. The rate of physician stoppages rose from 1.6% between 2010-2019 to 3% in 2020, exacerbating Canada's primary care physician shortage.
A novel study in Virginia uses state all-payer claims data to accurately assess and predict future primary care workforce needs. The approach differentiates physicians with primary care training from those who practice true primary care, providing a more accurate estimate of U.S. primary care capacity.
A One Health Clinic in Seattle provides concurrent primary health care and veterinary care to homeless youth and their pets, addressing the human-animal bond to increase access to healthcare. The clinic offers a free toolkit for starting similar clinics in the US or Canada.
A mixed methods study found that high-performing facilitators in a large-scale quality improvement initiative showed significant impact on clinical outcomes, with 75% or more of their assigned practices demonstrating improvements. The research analyzed data from 162 facilitators supporting 1,630 primary care practices across 12 states.
Research found that almost 83% of interruptions were cooperative, preserving interaction flow and allowing physicians to establish common ground. The type of interruption was predicted by role, gender, and consultation phase, with male doctors more likely to make intrusive interruptions than female doctors.
Patient-centered medical homes can bring meaning to healthcare by focusing on individualized outcomes and personal growth. By incorporating narrative medicine and goal-oriented care, primary care physicians can transform practices into truly person-centered models of care.
The American Academy of Family Physicians has been awarded a $31 million funding to conduct a large-scale study on the comparative effectiveness of asthma treatments. The study will focus on inhaled steroids and specific antibiotics, alone or together, in over 3,000 patients with asthma aged 12 and over.
Public health researchers developed an interactive web-based guide to support family physicians in addressing COVID-19 vaccine concerns. The guide provides resources to counsel patients on safety, co-morbidities, conspiracy theories, and other issues, promoting better conversations and vaccine uptake.
Despite electronic health records and care coordination efforts, communication gaps between primary care and specialist physicians persist, with 22% of PCPs sending information rarely or never at referral times. This delay can lead to delayed diagnoses, unnecessary testing, and patient dissatisfaction.
Despite electronic health records, gaps in communication between primary care physicians and specialist physicians persist. The study found that 22% of PCPs report sending clinical information to specialists at the time of referral, and less than 35% receive information back after consultation.
The report proposes a health equity framework to address disparities in telehealth services, focusing on strategic priority, patient input, social determinants, and institutional racism. It calls for integrating equity and innovation efforts to ensure access to telemedicine and digitally enabled health tools.
The recently updated ICPC-3 guide provides health professionals with a better understanding of patient functioning and its impact on primary healthcare. By implementing ICPC-3, clinicians can improve data documentation, enhance information exchange, and ultimately provide more effective care to patients.
A new visualization tool combines clinical and home blood pressure readings to aid in blood pressure management. It enhances shared decision-making between doctors and patients by integrating at-home readings with electronic health records.
Researchers found similar operational procedures for remote medication abortion services across diverse practice settings, with adaptations made to local laws and regulations. The study highlights the feasibility of offering abortion services through telehealth, demonstrating potential variations in service adaptation.
A study of 17,000 US primary care patients with COPD found 49.9% experiencing multiple exacerbation episodes despite treatment. Patients reported high symptoms and breathlessness, highlighting the need for non-pharmacologic treatments and improved physician education.
Researchers developed an EHR-embedded card study to replace traditional paper-based methods in clinic-based research. The digital tool increased efficiency and reduced labor costs, as each participant's responses were linked to clinic and patient data.
A new study within the Veterans Health Administration system identified effective strategies to reduce benzodiazepine prescriptions for older adults. The researchers found that initiatives focusing on passive strategies like education and patient identification have limited success in lowering prescription rates.
Clinicians perceive electronic health records as a barrier to patient engagement, maintaining less eye contact and feeling less personal during visits. However, most patients report a positive experience with EHR use, indicating sufficient clinician-patient interaction.
A retrospective cohort study found that poor continuity of care is associated with increased health care use and sub-optimal prescribing of guideline-recommended medications in patients with CKD. Strengthening patient-provider relationships and guiding physicians on recommended prescribing can help mitigate these issues.
A study found that 24.5% of GPs used POCUS for exploratory purposes, rather than focused examinations, highlighting the need for guidelines on appropriate use. The study also showed that 75% of GPs performed exams outside their training areas, raising concerns about patient safety.
A randomized trial found that enhanced post-discharge telehealth programs reduced 30-day readmission rates among patients with moderate to severe depressive symptoms. However, implementation barriers, such as perceived counseling needs, limited the intervention's impact.
Researchers in Ontario, Canada assessed the impact of utilizing an electronic consultation service to provide timely access to COVID-19 specialist advice for primary care practitioners. The study found that eConsults resulted in rapid access to specialist care, with 24% of cases avoiding face-to-face referrals.
A systematic review of qualitative studies found that rural patients experience significant challenges in accessing health care services for chronic conditions. Cultural, structural, and individual factors influence these experiences, highlighting the need for culturally appropriate interventions to improve access to care.
Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials offer statistical power, incentivized recruitment, and staggered resource allocation. However, challenges include time-sensitive recruitment, retention issues, and the Hawthorne effect.
A new study evaluates the Ontario eConsult service over two years, finding increased usage and reduced need for in-person visits. The research team analyzed 60,474 eConsult records, resulting in a median subspecialist response time of one day and a cost of $50 per case.
A virtual community of practice intervention improved clinicians' attitudes towards health literacy and self-management support, but had no impact on patient-centeredness or self-activation. The study suggests that more comprehensive approaches are needed to promote patient empowerment.
The Australian General Practice Respiratory Clinic program effectively scaled up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing rapid infection control measures and anonymized patient data for surveillance reports. By September 2020, 150 clinics had opened across the country, demonstrating their integration with other health services.
A study suggests that lung ultrasounds performed by primary care physicians can accurately diagnose community-acquired pneumonia with high specificity. This could allow for direct antibiotic prescribing, saving time and money for patients and reducing X-ray radiation.
A study found that general practitioners use ultrasound for exploratory purposes, outside of formal training areas, raising concerns about appropriate use and scanning competency. Meanwhile, lung ultrasounds may enable primary care physicians to prescribe antibiotics directly, reducing radiation exposure and saving time.
A new study found that 48% of patients with subsidized health care insurance reported one or more social risks, with housing instability being the most prevalent. Patients with social risks were twice as likely to report having poor health, despite being demographically similar to those without social risks.
Researchers synthesized 46 reports on mass vaccination clinics to offer guidance on planning, logistics, and human resources. Key findings highlight the importance of strong recommendations from healthcare providers in improving vaccine uptake and confidence.
A new study reveals that Latine children who prefer speaking Spanish are more likely to visit a community health center for their acute asthma symptoms than non-Hispanic white peers. Non-Hispanic Black children are also more likely to receive asthma-related care in emergency departments.
New research provides recommendations for quantitative health sciences to better understand the impact of racism on adverse health outcomes. The paper suggests applying theoretical frameworks, community consults, and elevating Black, Indigenous, and Latine scholars to leadership positions.
A new study found that clinics with higher FIT completion rates had added staff to support patients, provided educational materials, and offered on-call support. This approach reduced disparities among low-income and racially diverse populations, improving colorectal cancer screening outcomes.
A recent study found that physicians' choice of board certification activities is unaffected by their baseline quality of care. Only a quarter of physicians reviewed their quality dashboard, and median time spent reviewing it was just 82 seconds.
A new study finds that clinics supporting patients throughout the entire FIT process improve return rates and reduce colorectal cancer-related illness. Additionally, a telephone survey for dementia detection shows promise as a low-cost diagnostic tool, especially in primary care settings.
A new article applies a health equity lens to the National Academies' recommendations for high-quality primary care. The authors propose strategies to operationalize these recommendations, aiming to eliminate existing health inequities and ensure equitable access to quality primary care.
Investments in primary care research can enhance community-centeredness, reducing inequities in access, quality, and outcomes of care. Strategic research prioritizes whole person care and innovative payment models to support primary care's future success.
A telephone survey called Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) was found to be effective in detecting dementia in primary care patients. TICS scored well as a low-cost diagnostic tool, with a score of less than 30 indicating a positive screen for dementia.
Telehealth benefits for family caregivers include increased access to care, continuity of care, and reduced COVID-19 risk. However, concerns arise about caregiver involvement, patient-provider rapport, and quality of chronic condition care.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased job demands on primary care teams, but new skill development opportunities and sense of purpose boosted staff morale. Management support played a crucial role in mitigating burnout, with participants reporting greater support and patience within their practices.
A multilevel program improved the awareness and adoption of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in rural Colorado. The program increased the proportion of practices providing or referring patients for treatment from 18.8% to 74.4%, with a significant increase in buprenorphine prescriptions over four years.
Technology-facilitated abuse is common among young men in the US, with 38% reporting experiences in the last year. Primary care doctors are urged to adapt intimate partner violence screening tools for male patients, including technology-facilitated abuse assessment.
Decision-making tools, including a double-sided document and video training, were ineffective in reducing antibiotic prescription rates for acute respiratory infections. Despite this, general practitioners' knowledge of relevant evidence increased significantly after the intervention.