Family medicine
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The study's aim was to deepen our understanding of family physicians' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the widely used US documentation, coding, and billing rules for primary care evaluation and management (E/M) services. ⋯ Family physicians expressed many problems and frustrations with the existing E/M documentation, coding, and billing rules and felt the system undervalued and unappreciated them for the complex and comprehensive care they provide. Findings of this study could inform improved guidelines for primary care documentation, coding, and billing.
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Fewer family physicians are providing maternity care. Maternity Care Fellowships (MCFs) provide training in advanced obstetrical skills, including cesarean sections. These programs lack official recognition and certification. MCF graduates have been studied, but there are no studies of the fellowships. The objective of this study was to assess the structure and organization of family medicine MCFs. ⋯ Despite lack of formal accreditation, MCFs have academic affiliations and internally standardized curricula. MCFs provide an obstetric workforce for rural and underserved areas, and formal accreditation may ensure program survival and boost educational standards.
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Health care reform aims to increase evidence-based, cost-conscious, and patient-centered care. Family medicine is seen as central to these aims in part due to evidence of lower cost and comparable quality care compared with other specialties. We sought evidence that senior medical students planning family medicine residency differ from peers entering other fields in decision-making patterns relevant to these health care reform aims. ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that students planning to enter family medicine may already have clinical decision-making patterns that support health care reform goals to a greater extent than their peers. If confirmed by additional studies, this could have implications for medical school admission and training processes.