Annals of family medicine
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On October 31, 2021, I learned the electronic health record in my independent, solo practice had been attacked by a Russian syndicate who was holding our data and our practice management system for "ransom." An encryption key could be given to our cloud provider once $5,100,000 was delivered in bitcoin to the hacking entity. After 3 long months of negotiations, with us going back to a completely paper-based system in the interim, our cloud provider paid the Russian syndicate and access was restored. There were many lessons to be learned from our experience. We were fortunate, and through the help of many of our business associates we were able to survive and live to see another day.
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Annals of family medicine · Jan 2023
Observational StudyExploring Diagnostic Strategies for Streptococcal Throat Infection Remotely: A Feasibility Study.
Context: Acute sore throat is a common presentation in primary care and often results in antibiotic prescription. The Covid pandemic has driven changes in consultation with less face to face visits. Scoring tools are available to target antibiotics and widely used in the UK but it is not clear whether patient self assessment is feasible and sufficiently precise to enable remote use of scoring tools. ⋯ Photographs were of sufficient quality for clinical assessment less than half the time. Patients/parents/carers are very good at ruling out pus and inflammation, but have a tendency to overcall these findings, especially inflammation. Further implications for self assessment and future work will be described.
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Annals of family medicine · Jan 2023
Mindful Eating Healthy Nutrition Group Visit for Adult Metabolic Syndrome, Feasibility Acceptability for Patients.
Context: Metabolic syndrome, includes elevated fasting glucose, high triglycerides, hypertension, low HDL & abdominal obesity, affects 35% of adults in the United States. People with metabolic syndrome are at high risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease and have higher all-cause mortality. Usual treatment for metabolic syndrome is weight loss through diet and exercise. ⋯ We collected feasibility data for scheduling, staffing, recruiting patients, and for patients acquiring skills and knowledge; and acceptability to patients; Results: Patients report: increased fruits, vegetables, salads, fish; decreased simple carbohydrates; and (5=better) eating healthier 4.5/5, achieve goals for lifestyle change 4.2/5; mindful eating was helpful 4.7/5; positive reinforcement from shared experiences, request more direct teaching, and more time to share with others. Conclusions: Mindful eating healthy nutrition group visits are feasible. Patients report acceptability for group visits, healthier eating & lifestyle change.