GTMRx News Brief Archive

Practice Transformation Study: Medication events most common safety issue in ambulatory care Data from a multistate patient safety organization database reveals that medication-related events are the most common patient safety incidents in ambulatory care settings. The findings were published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. Across all categories, the 2,701 events were associated with 51 deaths, 159 severe harm events, 1,180 moderate harm and 926 mild harm. Medication-related events accounted for 45.3% of all errors. “These results can…

Practice Transformation Vaccine allocation framework: Start with health workers, first responders The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has released Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine, a consensus report recommending equitable allocation framework for COVID-19 vaccine allocation. It recommends using existing systems across all levels of government to ensure equitable allocation, distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccine; launching a COVID-19 vaccine promotion campaign and risk communication and engagement program; and supporting equitable allocation globally. The framework would begin vaccinations…

Practice Transformation Nash on “payviders” and other trends to watch What’s next? David Nash, MD, MBA, recently identified several trends to watch, reports MedPage Today. One is personalized medicine. Soon, it will be possible to take a “buccal smear, get your genetic makeup, and make a prediction about your own health, even in the primary care doctor's office.” A related trend: the convergence of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, machine learning and population health intelligence. Then, there’s the rise of the "payvider.” "We're…

Practice Transformation Strong, defined care teams improve patient engagement Patient engagement programs need a strong team-based care infrastructure, according to research published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Researchers drew from the VA Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) 2016 national survey of direct care clinicians. Among the findings: “Working in a chaotic clinic environment with vague team boundaries is associated with higher barriers to providing patient-centered care. Clear expectations of each team member’s duties and responsibilities are needed to optimize the team’s…

Practice Transformation Viewpoint: A call for algorithmic stewardship Algorithms are not new in health care, but newer emerging algorithms are increasingly complex and require oversight and quality control, according to the authors of “The Case for Algorithmic Stewardship for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technologies.” When used appropriately algorithms can improve the diagnosis and management of disease, but they also have the potential to “exacerbate existing systems of structural inequality." They identify several key considerations for emerging algorithmic stewardship programs.…

Practice Transformation COVID-19 vaccine: What messaging works? Unlike with other vaccines, talking about the public good won’t convince patients to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Civis Analytics tested five messages with 4,000 respondents. Personal stories proved to be the best motivator. When a respondent hears about a real person who contracted COVID-19 and died, they were 5% more likely than the control group to agree to the vaccine. However, when the message was about making communities healthier for everyone, they were…

Practice Transformation Nudging peds away from antibiotics A telehealth platform that includes clinical feedback can help care providers reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing rates, according to research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Physicians who, in real time, saw their prescribing rates compared to the practice-wide rates, reduced their antibiotic prescription rates. All the doctors in the study had received education on antibiotic resistance. The conclusion: “Education plus individualized feedback in a telemedicine practice significantly decreased antibiotic prescription rates for…

Practice Transformation Employers ready to pay for for virtual health Large employers reported a strong trend toward virtual care options during the pandemic, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Business Group on Health. Fifty-three percent of the 122 employers represented in the survey identified implementation of more virtual care solutions as the top health care benefit initiatives for 2021. It’s not just the pandemic: This was the top priority among respondents to BGH’s annual survey for the third…

Practice Transformation Pandemic pushes PCPs to value Many primary care practices are struggling to keep their doors open—and those that do stay open are rethinking their business models. Physicians and health policy experts say the pandemic is accelerating efforts to restructure primary care and put it on a firmer financial footing. “Primary care doctors now know how vulnerable they are, in ways they didn’t before,” said Rebecca Etz, a researcher at the Larry A. Green Center, an advocacy group for…

Practice Transformation Walgreens moves to primary care Walgreens plans to open hundreds of primary care clinics, thanks to a deal with VillageMD to staff and operate 500 to 700 clinics in 30 U.S. markets within five years. According to Walgreens, half the clinics will be in underserved areas. Each clinic will offer an array of services, including checkups and chronic disease care. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants and social workers will work out of some locations; telehealth options will also be…

Practice Transformation How hospitals, health systems handle telehealth Only 31% of hospital and health system executives surveyed said their organizations use EHR capabilities to conduct telehealth visits, according to a recent Sage Growth Partners report. However, 48% said they use third-party software such as Skype. Overall, only 11% expect to return to their pre-pandemic rates of virtual care within 24 months. When asked what tech solutions are critical to their organizations, 85% said virtual care, 52% said hospital communication and…

Practice Transformation Primary care could lose $15B+ due to COVID Researchers estimate that U.S. primary care practices are projected to lose more than $15 billion as a result of missed consultations and services during the pandemic. That’s more than $67,000 of lost revenue this year for each full-time U.S. primary care physician, according to research published in Health Affairs. Overall, the researchers “anticipate large, meaningful reductions in revenue for primary care practices” that could “threaten practice viability should practices be unable to secure…

Practice Transformation COVID as a clarion call “Every crisis brings opportunity,” says Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, a practicing physician and executive director of Ariadne Labs. “I hope that this time around, we can move beyond our usual collective amnesia about the risks that pandemics pose and will continue to pose.” COVID-19 isn’t even the worst-case scenario, he says, citing measles and virulent forms of influenza. This pandemic “is the clarion call to preparedness and action—not just this year or even…

Practice Transformation CMS rule would encourage value-based pricing CMS has proposed a rule to make it easier for private insurers to enter value-based payment arrangements with drugmakers—arrangements tied clinical outcomes. The goal: Expand access to costly new therapies, such as gene therapy. It will also apply to Medicaid programs. The change “shifts us away from our typical negotiations around drug pricing, which are usually volume-based…to negotiations around outcomes, and increases competition for manufacturers to develop drugs that are not only…