10 important stories you may have missed: EHRs, patient-centered care, tianeptine and more
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Breaking news and emerging research on the COVID-19 pandemic dominated headlines this year. However, there were other important updates that impact practice.
Healio Primary Care’s coverage of efforts from Harvard to make primary care more appealing to medical students and data that showed how much time physicians spend on electronic health records were some of the top non-COVID-19 stories of 2020.
Other top stories include a warning for primary care physicians regarding the opioid-like substance tianeptine and a cross-sectional analysis that indicated some of the most common procedures performed during annual OB/GYN exams may be unnecessary for certain patients.
Below, read the top 10 stories from the past 12 months that are not related to the COVID-19 pandemic:
‘Think big or go home’: Harvard wants to reshape primary care
Researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Primary Care are tackling some of the biggest issues in the field — limited resources, reimbursement and burnout — both in the United States and abroad. Their work so far has shown that investing in primary care resources and team building reduces overall health care costs. Read more.
Physicians spend 16 minutes using EHR for each patient encounter
Physicians spend, on average, 16 minutes and 14 seconds using an EHR for each patient encounter, with 11% of that time occurring after hours, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.
Tianeptine use: Another dangerous substance emerges during opioid crisis
Two FDA employees, an epidemiologist and a medical officer, discuss characteristics, abuse potential and other important information that primary care physicians need to know about the “atypical antidepressant” tianeptine. Read more.
Most pap, pelvic exams unnecessary in young women
Millions of women aged 15 to 20 years in the United States may have received unnecessary Pap tests or bimanual pelvic exams in recent years, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.
Physicians can use ‘side gigs’ to reduce burnout, achieve financial freedom
Achieving financial freedom through alternative income sources can help create new possibilities for physicians, according to a presentation at this year’s virtual Women in Medicine Summit. Read more.
Trump signs executive order detailing health care plan
President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order in September that detailed his “America First Healthcare Plan,” a combination of old and new initiatives that aim to lower drug prices and insurance premiums. Read more.
Five ways to maximize EHR use
With EHRs increasingly being cited as one of the leading causes of physician burnout, Healio Primary Care explored five ways that physicians can maximize their use. Read more.
Universal flu vaccine shows promise in phase 2b trial
A single dose of a universal influenza vaccine, adjuvanted FLU-v (Imutex), may provide prolonged protection against multiple strains of the influenza virus, according to results of a phase 2b trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.
Clinicians view new Alzheimer’s drug with guarded optimism
Administered intravenously once a month, aducanumab (Biogen) clears some of the plaque materials that may cause cell death and tissue loss in the brain caused by Alzheimer's disease, an expert told Healio Primary Care. If approved by the FDA, it will be the first new drug available to patients with Alzheimer’s disease in 16 years. Read more.
Q&A: Professional dissonance drives burnout in PCPs
A survey of PCPs revealed that dissonance between their professional values and the realities of primary care practice was a major contributor to burnout. Healio Primary Care spoke to one of the poll’s authors about potential solutions and other themes identified in the survey. Read more.