SPOTLIGHT -
COVID-19 erased progress in narrowing racial mortality gap, study finds
Following some improvement, excess death rate returned to 1999 levels for Black men and 2005 levels for Black women
Appeals Court temporarily upholds ACA preventive services mandate
Health plans must continue providing free screenings pending court’s further consideration of case
Wide race-based disparities found in use of medications to treat opioid-use disorder
Main drugs used to combat addiction are given less often to patients who are Black than those who are Hispanic or white
Doctors get reprieve for telehealth prescribing of controlled substances
Ability to write prescription without in-person visit extended to November
FDA gives nod to first vaccine for RSV
Approval is for use among adults 60 and older
Is AI better than doctors at answering patients’ questions?
Study finds higher-quality information, more empathy from GPT-4 chatbot responses
ACP unveils program aimed at reducing gun violence
Goal is to encourage doctors to talk with patients about firearms safety and preventing gun-related deaths and injuries
Poverty one of the nation’s leading killers, study finds
A single year in poverty is associated with more deaths than homicide or suicide
FDA simplifies COVID-19 vaccination schedule
Agency authorizes single-shot bivalent vaccinations, ends authorization for monovalent vaccines
Brand-name prescription drugs add little additional therapeutic benefit
Findings could have implications for Medicare’s first-ever negotiations with pharmaceutical companies
Telemedicine is OK, but doctors and patients prefer in-person care
Both groups cite difficulty of virtual physical exams for wanting face-to-face visits
Two years into pandemic, audio-only telehealth visits were still common at California safety net clinics
Researchers say use of virtual visits, particularly in rural areas, reflects ease of access they offer
EHRs can help doctors integrate SDOH into patient care plans
Combining technology with patient conversations could lead to more personalized care
CMS rule cracks down on prior authorization requirements in MA plans
Agency responds to complaints that plans are limiting access to care
Never mind: moderate drinking isn’t good for your health after all
Researchers find results of many previous studies were skewed by internal biases
ACA benchmark premiums up 3.4% in 2023
Increase follows three years of declines, reflects inflation in economy
Naloxone approved for sale without a prescription
FDA decision comes as nation battles rising deaths from opioid addiction
Mental health advocates seek changes to proposed telehealth rule on prescribing controlled medications
Rule would limit providers’ ability to write prescriptions without in-person visit
Residents’ clinical rotation has little effect on length of patient hospital stays
Staggering changeover days of resident and attending physicians also found to have minimal impact on patient outcomes
Doctors: We want lighter workloads, greater autonomy
Many physicians say they're willing to take pay cuts to achieve these goals
Fed hikes interest rates by a quarter percent
Decision comes as central bank weighs fallout of recent bank rescues
New medical dictation software promises speedy production of clinical notes
DAX Express is first to incorporate OpenAI’s GPT-4 capabilities
Prior authorizations harm patients and are costly to practices, doctors say
AMA president calls process “byzantine” and “ripe for reform”
Most doctors plan to continue using telemedicine after pandemic ends
But in-person visits remain preferred form of care delivery, study finds
How scientific denialism undermines public health
Scott Rivkees, M.D., former head of the Florida Department of Public Health, describes how distrust of scientific expertise is undercutting state and local laws designed to improve public health.
Who’s using remote patient monitoring, and why?
Internists have largest share of RPM claims; family doctors are third.
Most primary care telehealth visits don’t need in-person follow-ups
Visits with internists least likely to require in-person follow-ups, pediatric visits most likely
How can alcoholism treatment be better integrated into primary care?
Results from an experimental program show improvements in screening for and treating alcohol use disorder
Americans have doubts about AI’s ability to improve health outcomes
Majorities also worry about speed of technology’s adoption and impact on doctor-patient relationship
Care management processes for chronic diseases have held up well during pandemic
Study of Minnesota primary care clinics finds many were able to add services