Engaging stakeholders in case study development can enhance complex health care intervention implementation in primary care. Researchers provide a practical approach using participatory methods to assess the implementation of innovative interventions.
Research by Beach et al found that clinicians who provided space for patients to elaborate on their emotions had longer visits. In contrast, explicitly addressing emotions resulted in shorter visits, with 56% of responses being non-explicit.
Researchers found that adding one of three Suicide Cognitions Scale items to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 improved accuracy in identifying those at highest risk of suicidal behavior within a month. This augmentation can lead to reduced unnecessary treatment and misallocated resources, benefiting both patients and physicians.
The Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM) demonstrated solid psychometric properties in 28 languages across 35 OECD countries. The results provide evidence for high comparability of data collection despite geographic, cultural, or linguistic variations.
High clinician and patient trust is associated with an emphasis on quality, communication, cohesiveness among clinicians, and values alignment between leaders. Addressing organizational culture may improve trust levels, crucial for patient adherence to public health recommendations.
The article highlights the critical need for routine vaccinations to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. A decline in vaccine rates, particularly among children, poses a significant risk to future population health and overtaxes the healthcare system.
Primary care practices showed significant improvements in cardiovascular quality measures after receiving QI training. The study suggests that light facilitation can support important changes in small practices, leading to better patient outcomes.
A new study found that autonomy-supportive peer coaching is associated with increased patient engagement in diabetes self-management. Peer coaches who were supportive, authentic, and shared resources with participants had the greatest impact on patient outcomes.
The study found that electronic prompts can increase awareness of hearing loss among patients and improve clinician buy-in for referrals. Clinicians reported prioritizing the prompts during annual visits and resulting in more conversations with patients about hearing loss.
The Primary Care 2.0 model demonstrates increased team development, linked to improved staff wellness, but not sufficient in preventing burnout. Labor costs decrease over time with the new model.
Researchers assessed diagnostic value of physical symptoms for urinary tract infections in children, finding only circumcision and diaper rash useful for ruling out UTI. They advise against restricting urine sampling to children with unexplained fever or specific features.
A study compared four voice assistants - Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and Cortana - to assess their accuracy in providing information on cancer screening. The top three assistants provided consistent information with USPSTF guidelines roughly 70% of the time.
Researchers propose a framework to clarify common terms used in population, community and public health, aiming to reduce confusion and ambiguity. The shared language framework enables effective collaboration among clinicians, public health professionals and policymakers.
A new protocol has been established to guide healthcare professionals on donning and doffing personal protective equipment during home visits. The protocol aims to address gaps in existing guidelines, providing a clear step-by-step process for healthcare workers interacting with patients potentially infected with COVID-19.
Researchers found that AI and non-AI tools can improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and experience of care in pre-visit planning. However, few technologies have been independently evaluated, suggesting a need for rigorous evaluation to harness their full potential.
Breast and colorectal cancer screening rates increased following the introduction of national quality indicators, with greater reductions in socioeconomic disparities. Cervical cancer screening rates remained unchanged due to its exclusion from initial quality indicators.
The study found that financial incentives can improve MA performance in patient rooming and vaccination processes. MAs reported higher control over vaccinations and same-day measures, suggesting these targets should be prioritized for incentive structures.
The article highlights the need for financial and technological support to enable effective interprofessional teams in primary care. The authors suggest training community members to serve their communities and exploring how diversity impacts patient care outcomes. They also advocate for innovative payment models that allow primary car...
A March 2020 survey of central Pennsylvania adults found early concern for COVID-19 outmatched concern for influenza, with respondents trusting CDC guidelines and healthcare websites. Knowledge about COVID-19 was generally high, with a majority intending to follow social distancing recommendations.
Primary care physicians provide the largest share of vaccinations and clinical visits for COVID-19 testing, showcasing their crucial role in immunization programs. Researchers highlight the importance of integrating social care practices into healthcare delivery to address patients' economic and social needs.
A randomized clinical trial found that physical exercise was significantly more effective in improving depressive symptoms among older adults with mild to moderate depression, compared to antidepressant treatment. Adverse side effects were more common in the medication group.
A qualitative study found that community health workers are integral to identifying patients' social needs, with roles shifting from screener to implementer. However, social needs screening data is often not integrated into electronic health records or used for population health management, and sites face barriers to its implementation.
Primary care physicians provide the largest share of services for vaccinations and majority of clinical visits for vaccination, making them well-positioned to administer COVID-19 vaccines. They can also answer vaccine questions and provide clinical guidance on interpreting results from COVID-19 testing and immunity determinations.
A study of over 3,000 family physicians found that those from underrepresented racial-ethnic groups reported lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. This may be attributed to practicing in more diverse counties and having less exposure to obstetrics.
Researchers found that primary care physician and practice characteristics were not significantly associated with rates of unplanned hospitalizations in New Zealand. However, in the Netherlands sample, larger practices and those staffed with a practice nurse had higher admission rates. These findings suggest that primary health care st...
A study in Beijing, China from 2016-2018 found a significant decrease in the quantity of diabetes medications used, with an 18.39% reduction in estimated annual medication costs. The decrease is attributed to rational use of medications and reduced usage of insulin.
Researchers emphasize the need for collaborative efforts among healthcare systems, policymakers, and payers to integrate social care into healthcare. They highlight the importance of evidence-based practices, improved training, and sustainable funding streams to address health inequities and achieve health equity.
The article synthesizes lessons from primary care and behavioral health integration to inform organizing principles for advancing social care integration practices. This approach aims to improve the health of patients and communities by identifying and addressing their social and economic needs.
A family physician discusses how media synchronicity theory principles guide his practice, prioritizing patients' access to diverse care options and efficient technology use. He emphasizes the importance of guiding patients towards the right care medium in the correct order to achieve optimal healing outcomes.
Patients who attended shared medical appointments lost more weight over 24 months compared to those receiving usual care. Additionally, they showed better outcomes in managing chronic conditions such as high blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
A mixed-methods study found that units with more family physicians and midwives had lower cesarean delivery rates. The study identified unit culture factors that contributed to success, including valuing patient-centered care and shared decision-making.
Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Chicago found that hospitals with more family physicians and midwives had lower cesarean delivery rates. Meanwhile, a study on depression treatment suggests combining psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is more effective than separate treatments. Additionally, a new analysis on f...
Interdisciplinary consultations support primary care physicians in managing complex pain and addiction. PCPs express needs for expertise, safe prescribing, and communication strategies to effectively care for patients with chronic pain and addiction.
A randomized controlled trial found that brief educational videos can reduce patients' expectations for antibiotic treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. However, the doctors' actual prescribing habits showed no significant change.
A new analysis found that third-generation fluoroquinolones are not associated with an increased risk of Achilles tendon rupture, unlike first- and second-generation antibiotics. The study suggests these newer antibiotics may present a reduced risk of tendon ruptures.
Smaller, solo practices that made operational changes, such as training medical assistants for accurate blood pressure readings, saw substantial improvements. Practice facilitation was crucial, with larger practices requiring more facilitation to achieve meaningful gains.
A study by Russell et al found that personal factors influence desired scope of practice in family medicine, while workplace, environmental, and population factors impact actual scope. Supportive factors for a broader scope include training, mentorship, organizational leadership, and team-based care.
A network meta-analysis of 58 randomized controlled trials involving 9,301 patients found that psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy were significantly more effective than care-as-usual or waitlist control. Combined treatment, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, was better than either treatment alone.
A cluster-randomized controlled trial found that individuals with type 2 diabetes who received primary care-based oral health support experienced a significant increase in self-reported oral health quality of life. The study's authors conclude that patients with diabetes can benefit from extra attention to oral health, highlighting the...
Researchers conducted a randomized intervention that improved continuity of care and interprofessional collaboration between lung cancer patients and their family physicians. The bidirectional exchange of patient information and care summaries led to enhanced patient and family physician perceptions of care, resulting in better outcomes.
A mobile app designed to help women manage urinary incontinence was found to be equally effective as usual, in-person treatment. After four months, both groups experienced a decline in symptom severity, less frequent leakage, and improved quality of life.
US teens and young adults are knowledgeable about COVID-19 and concerned about its impacts on others. By March 20, 2020, nearly all respondents reported the pandemic's impact and increased worry from 25% to 51%
The use of primary care big data in understanding COVID-19 pharmacoepidemiology can help inform patient care and policy decisions. By analyzing interactions between medications and COVID-19 outcomes, researchers can identify potential treatments to improve patient outcomes.
A systematic review recommends behavioral self-management treatments for common urinary issues in older men, reducing symptoms and improving quality of life. Researchers also found that mobile apps can be as effective as usual treatment for women with urinary incontinence in primary care.
The Penn Integrated Care program, developed by the University of Pennsylvania, provides a resource center and collaborative care services to increase access to mental health professionals. This model has shown promising results, achieving remission in symptoms for nearly 40% of patients with anxiety and 33% of those with depression.
A systematic review suggests behavioral self-management treatments can reduce lower urinary tract symptoms in older men. Self-management interventions, including health education and bladder retraining, showed comparable symptom relief to medications alone.
The study found that top-performing primary care clinics in Minnesota used patient data to intensify treatment and monitor outcomes, leading to a significant increase in optimal diabetes care measures. The analysis suggests that this approach may be essential for improving diabetes care outcomes.
A pragmatic mixed-methods randomized controlled trial found no effect on quantitative measures of self-management and self-efficacy after a four-month intervention. However, patients reported significant improvements in self-management and self-efficacy through qualitative interviews.
Research suggests that physical and social pain share common processing in the brain, increasing the risk of addiction with long-term opioid therapy. The authors advocate for integrating physical and social pain care models to provide more effective treatment.
A retrospective cohort study of 251 primary care physicians found significant variation in medical practice patterns across different doctors, but relatively stable patterns within an individual's practice over time. Researchers propose that personal behavioral characteristics may explain these variations.