Advanced practice providers fill capacity gaps amid continued scope-of-practice debates
Editor's Note A recent report in Becker’s Hospital Review illuminated health systems’ efforts to address physician shortage by integrating advanced practice providers (APPs) into care models. Citing projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Becker’s noted that nurse practitioners (NPs) “are the fastest-growing occupation in the country, with employment in…
Cardiovascular disease trends raise alarms on primary care
Editor's Note In a series of interviews with STAT, 11 cardiologists and other clinicians, including the FDA commissioner, said a crisis in primary care is dragging back progress in the nation’s cardiovascular health. Published October 15, the article begins with commentary on a stark warning from the American Heart Association…
Updated physician shortage projections smaller but still significant
Editor's Note The gap between demand and supply could result in a shortage of 13,500 to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to updated projections published March 21 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Although these figures are smaller than projections in the last report, published in 2021, they…
Lack of primary care physicians tied to emergency surgeries
Editor's Note Research shows that Americans who live in areas with a limited number of primary care doctors and nurse practitioners are at a greater risk for emergency surgeries and complications. The findings were published March 4 in the journal Health Affairs. For the study, researchers looked at Medicare patient…
Inappropriate prescribing rates same for PCPs, NPs
Editor's Note A new study finds that both primary care physicians (PCPs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) inappropriately prescribe medications to older patients at the same rate, the Annals of Internal Medicine October 24 reports. The research is titled "Inappropriate Prescribing to Older Patients by Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care Physicians." …
Primary care reminders key to timely follow up for cancer patients with abnormal screenings
Editor's Note Patient outreach efforts, including a reminder in the electronic health record (EHR) following an abnormal cancer screening, helped to ensure timely follow-up, a new investigative study in JAMA Network reports. This cluster randomized clinical trial, titled "A multilevel primary care intervention to improve follow-up of overdue abnormal cancer…
Follow-up primary care visits reduce readmission rates for EGS patients
Editor's Note A recent study of Medicare beneficiaries found that patients hospitalized for an emergency general surgery (EGS) condition who had primary care follow-up within 30 days of discharge had much lower readmission rates. The investigative findings were published on September 27 in JAMA Surgery. Some highlights include: Patients who…
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