Opinion

House calls may be making a comeback as a way to cut costs and provide better quality care for the elderly and chronically ill.

The growing shortage of primary care physicians, which is projected to reach 35,600 by 2025 according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, is creating extraordinary competition among healthcare organizations seeking to hire internal medicine doctors.

An accurate diagnosis and knowledge of appropriate non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies are vital to successful COPD management.

Undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has a substantial impact on healthcare costs and utilization, according to two experts.

Looking past 2017, Medicare physician payment reform will have a ripple effect on areas including health IT and the future of independent practice.

With 2017 fast approaching, physicians are taking a hard look at their practice operations to gauge the effects of Medicare payment reform.

Analysis to identify and mitigate risks should follow patient data, according to experts.

Physicians face challenges in preparing systems for the move to value-based reimbursement, including what it will mean for electronic health record systems.

Telemedicine can provide an avenue for cardiologists and other physicians to participate in the shift to value-based care, said Sarah Sossong, MPH, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

The inclusion of frailty in the assessment and management of cardiovascular disease patients is a “no brainer, said Daniel E. Forman, MD, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

Primary care physicians should consider combining health education with interventions like counseling and tailor patient approaches, said Benita Walton-Moss at the 2016 AHA Conference.

The election of Donald Trump may mean an era of empowering physicians and is reason for optimism.

The use of mobile health applications and other technologies have promise to connect patients to physicians, but there is more work to be done, said Maulik D. Majmudar, MD, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

Improvements in risk factor modification and advances in the medical management of cardiovascular disease are truly affecting mortality rates, said Barry Franklin, PhD, in a presentation at the 2016 AHA Conference.

“Major limitations undermine the clinical utility” of the risk score calculator, said Steven E. Nissen, MD, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

Ifa bill introduced in Congress passes into law, paying directly for primary care will be a lot easier to do.

“We should be doing everything we can to manage blood pressure better in women in the acute stroke setting,” Cheryl Bushnell, MD, said at the 2016 AHA Conference.

Electronic health records may be the key to improving medical care and health outcomes for cardiology patients, said Marc S. Williams, MD, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

Researchers in Pennsylvania are using genetic information to identify patients’ risk for familial hyercholesterolmia, said Michael F. Murray, MD, at the 2016 AHA Conference.

The growth of smartphone usage is giving physicians new ways to stay connected with patients and improve their care, and evidence shows that communication outside of the office setting is acceptable and can help improve outcomes.

Running a physician practice is a lot different-and substantially more challenging-than it used to be.

With the new president pledging to throw out the Affordable Care Act, he must be careful not to end up with a plan equally as unpopular.

As is often the case in healthcare and business, no one single tool provides sufficient information to create sustainable solutions for a challenge at hand. And so it goes with the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey.

A new vaccine against Alzheimer’s targets two proteins involved in the development of the disease in hopes to offer both early and late protection.

Scientists at Emory University have developed a vaccine they say may work well in preventing infection with rhinovirus-the top cause of the common cold.

Patient satisfaction surveys are here to stay and, used correctly, can perhaps add value. But with all the information available today to patients, they will simply “rate” you with their feet, leaving for another provider if truly dissatisfied-no survey necessary, saving everyone a lot of time and energy.

When it comes to getting sued for medical malpractice, it is unfortunately more a case of “when” than “if.”

Making time for patients remains challenging for physicians, but peers offer solutions

If we believe that time spent with patients is the most important piece of our patient care, we must have the conviction and courage to do what is right and say no when we need to say no, whether it is to payers who don’t value our time, or government data collection mandates that take time away from our patients. In return, I ask my patients to appreciate our efforts to dedicate our time for them.