Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

State highlights: 'Health care homes' show promise in Minn.; Texas women's health providers; Fla.'s hidden costs

A selection of health policy stories from Minnesota, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New York and Massachusetts.

24 Feb 2014

California health insurance sign-ups continue to soar -- Latino enrollment viewed as critical

Covered California has almost reached its enrollment goal for March 31, according to numbers released Wednesday. Still, the state plans to spend millions on Spanish-language advertising in the weeks remaining before the open enrollment period ends next month.

21 Feb 2014

Standards of Care for the Addiction Specialist Physician released by ASAM

The American Society of Addiction Medicine announces its release of the Standards of Care for the Addiction Specialist Physician. Drafted by a diverse panel of addiction treatment providers, researchers and academicians and clinical outcomes experts, this document enumerates the essential treatment standards that should be met by a physician who manages or oversees the care of a patient with addiction and related disorders.

20 Feb 2014

Research finds correlation between OCD, body dysmorphia and tanning addiction

They keep tanning, even after turning a deep brown and experiencing some of the negative consequences. Skin cancer is among the most common, preventable types of the disease, yet many continue to tan to excess.

20 Feb 2014

1 in 4 check online doctor ratings

Online ratings of physicians haven't caught on as much as ratings of books, movies and plumbers, but a majority of consumers know they exist and one in four consulted them when picking a primary care doctor in 2012, new research shows.

20 Feb 2014

Ways to help manage chronic pain

Musculoskeletal pain of the bone, joint and muscles is one of the most common reasons for primary care visits in the United States. According to a literature review appearing in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), chronic pain, or pain that persists beyond an expected period of healing, is estimated to affect 100 million Americans.

20 Feb 2014

Beta version of Cover Oregon gets mixed reviews

The troubled Cover Oregon insurance exchange unveiled its long-awaited beta website to mixed reviews Tuesday. Meanwhile, Humana announced it will waive fees for enrollees who bought plans on the Mississippi exchange who see a doctor by the end of June for a non-preventive visit. Also, Republicans probe state websites which are still having major problems.

19 Feb 2014

Young adults with high blood pressure often not prescribed medication

Primary care doctors are not quick to prescribe antihypertensive medication to young people even after an average of 20 months of high blood pressure. Young adults who are white, male, not on Medicaid and not frequent clinic visitors are especially less likely to receive medication. These are the results of a study by a research team at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the United States led by Heather Johnson.

19 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 19, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the doubts that now surround Arkansas' Medicaid expansion plan -- a compromise plan that has gained national attention.

19 Feb 2014

Physicians’ attitudes about obesity may affect patients’ success in losing weight

Overweight and obese people who feel their physicians are judgmental of their size are more likely to try to shed pounds but are less likely to succeed, according to results of a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

19 Feb 2014

Moving deadlines is 'wrong way' to fix health law; expand Medicaid to close 'racial' health gap

Commentators assess the health law and its implementation.

19 Feb 2014

Report: Best practices saving lives, hospitals money

In the meantime, patients sharing their appointments with other patients -- group doctor visits -- gains popularity.

19 Feb 2014

Researchers identify first biomarker for major depression

Teenage boys who show a combination of depressive symptoms and elevated levels of the 'stress hormone' cortisol are up to fourteen times more likely to develop major depression than those who show neither trait, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

18 Feb 2014

Sanford Health opens new clinic in Dickinson, ND

The new Sanford Health Dickinson Clinic, which is replacing the existing Sanford Health Dickinson Clinic, is now open. The new clinic, located at 2615 Fairway St., is more than six times the size of the current clinic at 938 Second Ave. W. and can house more than 20 physicians, providing better patient access than ever before.

18 Feb 2014

More doctors move to salaried jobs

American physicians, worried about changes in the health care market, are streaming into salaried jobs with hospitals. Though the shift from private practice has been most pronounced in primary care, specialists are following.

17 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Parsing Obamacare numbers; experts on long-term care insurance; French cancer care

The monthly announcement of Obamacare's enrollment figures has become an exercise in confirmation bias, starting with the administration itself. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted the "encouraging trends" in yesterday's release, while House Speaker John Boehner opted to highlight its "embarrassing failures." ... The only debate worth having is how to improve enrollment. ... enrollment numbers for Obamacare aren't some referendum on the president's popularity or lack thereof. They're the best way to tell whether the law is working as planned -- and how to adjust if it isn't (2/13).

17 Feb 2014

Doctors miss opportunities to diagnose COPD at an earlier stage in primary and secondary care

A retrospective study of almost 39,000 patients shows that opportunities to diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at an earlier stage are frequently being missed in both primary and secondary care in the UK. The findings, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, reveal missed opportunities to diagnose COPD occurred in up to 85% of people.

17 Feb 2014

Research roundup: Examining readmissions; easing doctor burnout

Despite massive early IT problems, exchange enrollment is accelerating rapidly. While enrollment may not reach 7 million by the end of March, we expect at least 5 million to have enrolled by the close of the initial open-enrollment period. If enrollment falls far short, HHS could extend open enrollment for a fixed period to reach its 7 million target. ... We project that 5 million new beneficiaries will be covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program by the end of 2014. Medicaid managed-care enrollment of non-dual beneficiaries will increase by 20 percent from 2013 to 2014 and by 38 percent from 2013 to 2016. We expect that 75 percent of non-dual Medicaid beneficiaries will be covered by Managed Care Organizations starting in 2015, up from 63 percent in 2012 (Feb. 2014).

14 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 14, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports on the least expensive health insurance markets and efforts to set up skimpier plans under the health law.

14 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Decoupling jobs and insurance; overblown fear: Medicaid willl take my house

Three blog posts and a column should probably suffice to cover the debate over Obamacare and work incentives, but I don't want to let the topic drop without first stepping back and talking about the actual health policy disagreement here.

14 Feb 2014