The healthcare industry is facing a primary care physician shortage that threatens patient access to care in coming years. Leaning on non-physician clinicians such as nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) could reduce the enormity of that problem, according to a recent reportfrom the United Health Group.
Chronic diseases – including heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, Alzheimer's, diabetes, arthritis and others – kill and disable more Americans than anything else. Many also are among the costliest and most preventable health conditions. Combined with mental health care, care for chronic diseases constitutes the majority of the nation's $2.7 trillion in annual health care spending, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As America’s population ages, experts are exploring how best to keep older people with multiple chronic illnesses healthy. A new study suggests that coordination between physicians may be key.
CMS says it's working to improve access and quality of care in rural health settings, but the industry counters that it needs a much bigger effort to stem the bloodletting in the sector in recent years.
The telehealth market is poised for growth with $431M in venture capital investment being poured into startups in the space this year. Telehealth, or telemedicine, enables physicians to deliver care services to patients from a distance via communications tools such as videoconferencing, remote monitoring, and information-sharing platforms.
An estimated one third of patients being treated by a primary care doctor are also suffering from a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder. Primary care doctors may feel overwhelmed, or that their practice is not equipped to handle such specialized care. However, due to limited access issues, it may take three to sixth months to make an appointment with a behavioral health specialist. A partner of Avicenna, the Amherst-based TCD Medical
As the industry continues its shift from volume to value, healthcare organizations should consider innovative strategies for incorporating mental and behavioral healthcare services with the clinical environment. Delivering high-quality, preventive care requires clinicians to treat the whole patient, on both the physical and behavioral level.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing to expand Medicare coverage for telehealth services and to make it easier for physicians to provide care through in-person home visits. The policy changes were floated in a proposed rule issued Thursday, regarding payment policies, rates and quality provisions for services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after Jan. 1, 2019.
Effective chronic disease management is imperative in a healthcare industry in which costs are only going up. However, without adequate patient engagement and care coordination strategies, efforts to mitigate chronic care issues will not be successful, leaving the market to handle ever-rising healthcare costs.
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