SPOTLIGHT -
Is AI better than doctors at answering patients’ questions?
The study was conducted using 195 randomly selected medical questions posted to Reddit r/AskDocs, an online social media forum where users can post medical questions and verified health care professionals submit answers.
Physician peer relationships may hold key to improved care quality
Patients get better care from specialists who trained with referring PCP, study finds.
Physician burnout levels reached new highs in 2021
Workplace factors play major role in determining job satisfaction, intention to leave.
Five minutes of a doctor’s time could cost patients $50
Cleveland Clinic begins charging for doctors’ time spent responding to some electronic messages
HLTH 2022: Federal COVID response slowed by absence of unified public health system, says Becerra
HHS secretary says federal government will need quicker access to national data to address future health emergencies
Texting found more effective than phone calls for hospital discharge follow-ups
In study, use of text messages reduced post-discharge ED admissions and hospital readmissions
Fewer children than adults getting COVID-19 vaccinations
Study links discrepancy to adults’ misbeliefs about vaccine safety.
New billing codes for monkeypox testing, vaccines unveiled
Codes enable billing for lab tests, administering vaccines.
Childcare concerns stress health care workers during pandemic
Study finds more depression, burnout as worries over childcare increase
Health care data breaches decline, but threats remain
Growth in remote work, cloud data storage present opportunities for hackers.
Medical schools must do more to help poor and marginalized students graduate
Study finds higher attrition rates among those with low incomes or from groups underrepresented in medicine
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine prevented more than 100,000 US deaths in 2021
Nearly 9 million symptomatic cases also avoided.
Race, ethnicity affect non-COVID-19 death rates during pandemic
Drug overdoses, suicide, and homicide also have been significant causes of death during this time.
Building a diverse team takes effort, but the rewards are worth it
Organizations that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion are more productive and employees are more satisfied
Tackling the barriers to health equity
Individual doctors can take steps to ensure high-quality care for every patient.
White House ramps up efforts to test for and treat COVID-19
EHR companies asked to incorporate information about oral antivirals
Improve staff retention by tackling burnout
Dissatisfaction with electronic health records also tied to clinician turnover
Mortality gap between United States and other high-income countries widens due to COVID-19
The study finds large drops in life expectancy for Hispanic and Black people in 2020.
Telemedicine's potential for managing mental health highlighted by pandemic
Decrease in in-person visits during pandemic offset by jump in telehealth use, study finds
Public feedback sought for updated CDC guidelines for opioid prescribing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set an April 11th deadline for public comments.
State laws have little effect on opioid prescribing
Implementation challenges and loopholes limit laws’ impact
Physician turnover increases medical spending by $1 billion
More than 11,000 primary care doctors leave practice every year
Integrating social determinants of health into health data can improve records
When housing, transportation and other nonclinical data are shared electronically, clinicians can better understand their patients’ needs
Earning potential for women in academic medicine impacted by differences in starting pay
After 10 years women’s median earnings are 9% less than men’s.
Telehealth services from Amazon to be expanded to entire country
In-person services also will be available in eight more cities.
A new way of understanding diagnostic errors
Researchers suggest thinking in terms of “pitfalls” would improve process.
How will telemedicine fare after the pandemic?
Americans want the technology available, but most prefer in-person visits.
Mental health care use by doctors has increased during the pandemic
First-time visits up sharply, study finds.
CDC updates mask guidance
With increased infectivity of Omicron, the Centers for Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the guidance on the best mask types to use.
What is driving breakthrough infections?
