J Am Board Fam Med
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This survey evaluated whether the COVID-19 pandemic was a traumatic stress event for family physicians associated with burnout, changes in life priorities, and intentions to retreat from clinical practice. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic impacted family physician's career plans. Remedying burnout is a high-yield opportunity for retaining clinically active family physicians. Physicians retreating from clinical medicine related to changing life's priorities needs further exploration.
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Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of contracting severe COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination trends of immunocompromised patients at a large, urban primary care setting. ⋯ Despite the majority of the sample receiving ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses, disparities in vaccination rates exist, especially when comparing White and Black patients. Vaccination rates in immunocompromised patients should be improved, and primary care providers should prioritize outreach efforts focusing on patient-centered COVID-19 vaccine education in these populations.
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The Medicare Advantage Program, home to nearly half of the eligible Medicare population, has recently come under increased scrutiny. The Government Accountability Office called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to monitor "disenrollment of MA beneficiaries in the last year of life, validate MA-provided encounter data, and strengthen audits used to identify and recover improper payments to MA plans." The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy & Commerce, dedicated a hearing to "Protecting America's Seniors: Oversight of Private Sector Medicare Advantage Plans." In addition, a recently conducted audit of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services raised concerns over "denials of prior authorization requests" and "beneficiary access to medically necessary care." In this article we consider the backdrop for the growing scrutiny of the MA program and the implications thereof to its future trajectory.
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Social isolation is a risk factor for many diseases and overall increased mortality. Alternatively human connection has been noted to lead to healthier lives and longevity. ⋯ There are many organizations that we can refer our patients to in order to make connections. This lesson is one we as physicians need to embrace ourselves as loneliness during our busy days is affecting us too.