And four more news items for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and CRNAs to peruse this week.
- While medical practices with a larger nonphysician provider-to-clinician ratio have greater expenses, a new report from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) shows these healthcare organizations are also are more lucrative, reports Modern Healthcare. Ken Hertz, principal consultant with the MGMA, said having more advanced practice practitioners, nurse practitioners (NPs), and other nonphysician providers not only benefits medical practices’ bottom line, but also results in greater productivity and a complete care team.
- A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants indicates the efficacy of care and usage of healthcare resources among NPs and physician assistants (PAs) are comparable when providing treatment for patients with diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD), reports Clinical Advisor. To reach their findings, researchers compared age, sex, race, account of hypertension, primary care treatment at a teaching facility, and provider panel size as well as the success of care delivered by NPs or PAs to patients with diabetes or CVD.
- In hopes of decreasing delays in proper diagnosis and care of Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), 20 recommendations for physicians, NPs, and other providers have been established for the Alzheimer’s Association. As stated in MD Magazine, the guidelines were developed by a workgroup of experts convened by the renowned non-profit association. According to a Release Industry post, at the heart of the recommendations are that middle-aged or older people who self-report, or whose care partner (e.g., family member or confidant) or clinician reports cognitive, behavioral, or functional changes should undergo a timely evaluation.
- Physicians, NPs, and PAs who received ongoing, individualized training following electronic medical record (EMR) implementation realized both a reduction in time spent in the EMR system and an increase in confidence, reveals a study published in the July 2018 Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers arranged for three trainers to provide one-on-one training to the 185 participants, each of whom specialized in medical oncology. After instruction, participants demonstrated a boost in confidence across all activities and a 98 percent respondent rate of improved efficiency with the EMR system.
- Becker’s Hospital Review shares research results published July 23 in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer, which indicate physicians do not amply recognize or address the impact of breast cancer on patients’ finances. Among the study’s findings: Roughly 27 percent of white patients, 58.9 percent of black patients, 33.5 percent of Latina patients, and 28.8 percent of Asian patients stated they were in debt after treatment, and of the 945 women who responded they were concerned about their finances, 72.8 percent said their physician and his or her staff did not provide them with assistance.
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