“In the Interim” is a snapshot of the latest and most relevant news in the locum tenens industry. No repeats, less scrolling, more knowledge. Check out the articles we found most interesting for November’s roundup.
1. YouTube Invites Medical Professionals to Apply for Health Product Features to Boost Visibility and Credibility
What happens when patients have a burning medical question at 1 am? They certainly aren’t scouring scientific journals online. Instead, they’re going straight to YouTube for answers. On the popular video platform, there’s been a recent spike in searches for chronic diseases, questions regarding vaccines, and women’s health.
Thankfully, YouTube is rising to meet the demand with its “health product features,” a coveted video eligibility previously reserved for verified accounts, such as educational institutions and government entities. Now, any medical professional may apply for eligibility but will have to undergo appropriate verification.
This feature allows physician-created content to reach more people and helps combat medical misinformation. Not to mention, it gives docs a popular platform and crucial tool to meet patients where they already are.
(Fierce Healthcare, October 28, 2022)
2. Building a Telehealth Primary Care Workforce During a Physician Shortage
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States is projected to be short somewhere between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. After telehealth rose in popularity due to the pandemic, many physicians have found it to be a timesaver and a crucial method to improve access to medical care. Primary care offices as a result saw a reduction in health care costs.
While telehealth is a fantastic tool to assuage the primary care physician gap, health leaders caution that its implementation must be seen as complementary to in-person visits and not as a replacement for face-to-face patient care.
(Forbes, November 02, 2022)
3. How EHR Innovation Platforms Cut Clinician Burnout for Value-Based Care
According to a recent study from the American Academy of Family Physicians, EHR innovation platforms complementing a value-based care model could alleviate clinician burnout.
Since clinicians who are satisfied with the EHR are three times more likely to stay at a hospital than those who aren’t. This study assessed primary care physicians and their experience with administrative burden, clinician burnout, and their ability to deliver high-value care on various EHRs.
(EHR Intelligence, November 3, 2022)
4. How to Write Shorter Clinical Notes
Do you want to spend less time on EMR documentation? Dr. Charles Tanguay provides eight easy-to-implement shortcuts (with examples!) that save time charting without sacrificing readability and accuracy.
(KevinMD, November 08, 2022)
5. Hospitals Implement Retention Strategies to Stave Off Staffing Shortages
The Leapfrog Group released its fall 2022 results, assigning a letter grade “A” through “F” to about 3,000 United States hospitals. This national nonprofit prioritizes patient safety in hospitals, grading hospitals based on preventing medical errors, injuries, and infections. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital rating system based on preventing harm to patients; it is fully transparent and free to the public.
To view your state rankings visit Leapfrog’s fall 2022 update.
6. The Pandemic and Inflationary Impact on the Healthcare System
COVID-19 created an immediate, heightened demand for additional medical care on an already burdened workforce. And it spotlighted weaknesses in our country’s healthcare and the overall economy.
In the wake of the pandemic, healthcare revenue from employer-sponsored plans took a hit. Amid stimulus checks, increased premiums and renewals, inflation, and insurance rate hikes, the healthcare system is struggling to recover.
This article discusses simultaneously prioritizing a “health and wealth” strategy while emphasizing financial protection.
(Medical Economics, November 11, 2022)
7. Treating Long COVID is Rife with Guesswork
Anecdotally, millions of patients suffer from long covid. Unfortunately, few formal clinical trials exist, and there’s no standardized treatment yet. Dr. Steven Deeks, an infectious disease specialist, comments that everyone is in a “data-free zone.”
Researchers theorize autoimmunity and “microclots” as possible causes of long covid, but nothing is conclusive yet. Thankfully, The National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER Initiative unites patients and researchers trying to find therapies and treatments.
(Kaiser Health News, November 22, 2022)
That’s it for this month’s edition of In the Interim. Stay tuned for next month’s roundup of newsworthy articles for locum tenens providers. To stay in the loop on future news, follow us on LinkedIn and sign up for our monthly email newsletter for monthly news and job search tips.
