Practice Management
According to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), new projections indicate a continued shortage of physicians in the next 10 to 15 years, although the shortage is expected to be less than previously forecasted. AAMC predicts a shortfall of 13,500 to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with demand for physician services continuing to outpace the supply of working clinicians. By comparison, the 2021 report projected a shortfall of up to 124,000 physicians …
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this week posted a letter to healthcare providers acknowledging their cash flow disruptions resulting from the Change Healthcare cyberattack that crippled mission-critical eligibility and claims processes nationwide. Providers were collectively losing as much as $1 billion a day for several weeks while they waited for Change to rebuild and relaunch its systems, according to a report from Axios. HHS officials also offered a practical resource guide …
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The FDA approved semaglutide to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight, according to an agency announcement about the new indication. A phase III study of patients with overweight and obesity showed that semaglutide significantly reduced the composite of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke by 20%. In the 3-year study, these major adverse cardiac events occurred in 6.5% of patients on semaglutide …
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A couple in Texas spent more than an hour locked in an urgent care center after the staff left for the day. According to local news reports, Austin Jennings and his partner, Christina Tirado, went to the Mont Belvieu Urgent Care for treatment for Jennings’ flu symptoms. They arrived for a 6PM appointment and were directed to an exam room at 6:30PM where Jennings started a breathing treatment. When he opened the exam room door 20 minutes later, a …
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Rising measles outbreaks in the United States have raised concerns about whether the country is losing its status of having “eliminated” the disease, according to the Hill. As of March 7, 2024, 45 measles cases were reported across 17 states. Florida has reported 10 cases in 2 counties, prompting the Florida Surgeon General to recommend unvaccinated children should stay home for 3 weeks, aligning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, but it …
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Patients who test positive for COVID-19 or believe they are infected no longer need to stay home and isolate for 5 days, as per new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines adopted last week. The CDC reworked its prevailing guidance, saying that COVID-19 “is no longer the emergency that it once was,” and people who with COVID-19 can return to everyday activities if their symptoms are mild, have been improving, and it’s been …
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World Health Organization (WHO) leaders are predicting half of the world will be at high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year unless preventive measures ramp up quickly. Measles cases have been increasing across the world mostly because of missed vaccinations, and cases last year increased 79%, according to WHO data reported by Reuters. The measles virus is highly contagious and mostly affects children under 5 years old. According to the Centers for …
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In 2023, more than 1,200 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 were prescribed semaglutide for obesity, according to an analysis of insurance claims by Komodo Health. Additionally, when data from Medicaid programs in 5 selected states was analyzed by Reuters, more than 460 children were found to be taking the weight management drug. The bottom line seems to indicate that providers are embracing obesity pharmacotherapy for tweens. Of note, it was December 2022 …
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A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Grand Rapids, Minnesota—a city with a population of 11,000—has been linked to the area’s municipal water system, according to officials. Water samples from 2 buildings in Grand Rapids tested positive for Legionella and matched the bacteria from patient respiratory samples. The public utilities water supply is not chlorinated, and officials say installing a chlorination system to treat the water “is being looked into.” Of the 14 cases associated with the outbreak, all have …
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What’s great about pickleball is that it’s an active sport designed for players of all ages and abilities. Not surprisingly, the explosion of pickleball in neighborhoods across the country has also corresponded with a rise in pickleball injuries. A study presented at the 2024 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting demonstrated a 90-fold increase in pickleball-related fractures over 2 decades with a noteworthy surge starting in 2020 as pickleball began to rise in …
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