J Am Board Fam Med
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has set requirements for the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). ⋯ The results indicated a need for more comprehensive AWV content and a preference for more structured and objective ways to conduct AWV assessment.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to wide adoption of telehealth in primary care. The impact of telehealth on subsequent follow-up visit volume is mixed. This study examines the association of newly expanded telehealth with short-interval follow-up visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in an academic primary care practice. ⋯ Newly expanded telehealth visits conducted in the year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in higher rates and sooner first occurrence of short-interval follow-up visits. Future research should identify optimal scheduling processes for telehealth visits to minimize short-interval follow-ups.
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This study examined patient portal utilization by analyzing the pattern of time and feature use of patients, and thus to identify functionalities of portal use and patient characteristics that may inform future strategies to enhance communication and care coordination through online portals. ⋯ Efforts to enroll patients in online portals do not guarantee patients will use the portals to manage their health. When considering the use of patient portals for improving telehealth, clinicians need to be aware of technological, socioeconomic, and cultural challenges faced by their patients.
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Medication abortion (MAB) provision by family physicians has the potential to expand abortion access. However, there are documented individual and structural barriers to provision. This study investigates how family physicians in the United States (US) navigate the barriers impeding abortion provision in primary care. ⋯ Improving medication abortion provision by family physicians requires addressing the individual and system barriers family physicians encounter so they receive the education, training, and support to successfully integrate abortion care into clinical practice.
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Increased telemedicine implementation may promote primary care access. However, gaps in telemedicine uptake may perpetuate existing disparities in primary care access. This study assessed provider- and patient-level factors associated with telemedicine use in community-based family practice clinics. ⋯ While provider characteristics were not associated with telemedicine use, greater focus on patient characteristics specific to the population served is necessary.