Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Dermatology Practice Changes.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dermatology practice cannot be overstated. At its peak, the pandemic resulted in the temporary closure of ambulatory sites as resources were reallocated towards pandemic response efforts. Many outpatient clinics have since reopened and are beginning to experience a semblance of pre-pandemic routine, albeit with restrictions in place. We provide an overview of how COVID-19 has affected dermatology practice globally beginning with the rise of teledermatology. A summary of expert recommendations that shape the "new normal" in various domains of dermatology practice, namely, dermatology consultation, procedural dermatology, and phototherapy, is also provided.

Patient experience after modifying visit delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To describe real-time changes in medical visits (MVs), visit mode, and patient-reported visit experience associated with rapidly deployed care reorganization during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional time series from September 29, 2019, through June 20, 2020. METHODS: Responding to official public health and clinical guidance, team-based systematic structural changes were implemented in a large, integrated health system to reorganize and transition delivery of care from office-based to virtual care platforms. Overall and discipline-specific weekly MVs, visit mode (office-based, telephone, or video), and associated aggregate measures of patient-reported visit experience were reported. A 38-week time-series analysis with March 8, 2020, and May 3, 2020, as the interruption dates was performed. RESULTS: After the first interruption, there was a decreased weekly visit trend for all visits (ß3 = -388.94; P < .05), an immediate decrease in office-based visits (ß2 = -25,175.16; P < .01), increase in telephone-based visits (ß2 = 17,179.60; P < .01), and increased video-based visit trend (ß3 = 282.02; P < .01). After the second interruption, there was an increased visit trend for all visits (ß5 = 565.76; P < .01), immediate increase in video-based visits (ß4 = 3523.79; P < .05), increased office-based visit trend (ß5 = 998.13; P < .01), and decreased trend in video-based visits (ß5 = -360.22; P < .01). After the second interruption, there were increased weekly long-term visit trends for the proportion of patients reporting "excellent" as to how well their visit needs were met for all visits (ß5 = 0.17; P < .01), telephone-based visits (ß5 = 0.34; P < .01), and video-based visits (ß5 = 0.32; P < .01). Video-based visits had the highest proportion of respondents rating "excellent" as to how well their scheduling and visit needs were met. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 required prompt organizational transformation to optimize the patient experience.

Impact of oral anticoagulation choice on healthcare utilization for the primary treatment of venous thromboembolism.

Little is known about the impact of oral anticoagulation (OAC) choice on healthcare encounters during venous thromboembolism (VTE) primary treatment. Among anticoagulant-naïve patients with VTE, we tested the hypotheses that healthcare utilization would be lower among users of direct OACs (DOACs; rivaroxaban or apixaban) than among users of warfarin. MarketScan databases for years 2016 and 2017 were used; healthcare utilization was identified in the first 6 months after initial VTE diagnoses. The 23,864 patients with VTE had on average 0.2 ± 0.5 hospitalizations, spent 1.3 ± 5.2 days in the hospital, had 5.7 ± 5.1 outpatient encounters, and visited an emergency department 0.4 ± 1.1 times. As compared to warfarin, rivaroxaban and apixaban were associated with fewer hospitalizations, days hospitalized, outpatient office visits, and emergency department visits after accounting for age, sex, comorbidities, and medications. Hospitalization rates were 24% lower (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.76; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.83) with rivaroxaban and 22% lower (IRR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.87) with apixaban, as compared to warfarin (IRR: 1.00 (reference)). Healthcare utilization was similar between apixaban and rivaroxaban users. Patients with VTE prescribed rivaroxaban and apixaban had lower healthcare utilization than those prescribed warfarin, while there was no difference when comparing apixaban to rivaroxaban. These findings complement existing literature supporting the use of DOACs over warfarin.

Patterns of care for glaucoma patients in Korea from 2002 to 2013 using the national health insurance service claims data.

Due to the rapidly increasing life-expectancy, the prevalence of glaucoma has increased steadily in recent years. We aimed to evaluate the patterns of care and primary treatment strategy patterns in Korea according to glaucoma subtypes to assess the quality of care for glaucoma patients.In this serial cross-sectional survey, the claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service was used to identify and group glaucoma patients into primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), other types of glaucoma, and ocular hypertension from 2002 to 2013. Records for outpatient visits, hospitalizations, drug prescriptions, admissions, and surgical interventions were used to determine the patterns of care and identify primary treatment strategies.Both the prevalence (0.11% in 2002 to 0.43% in 2013) and incidence rates (0.06% in 2003 to 0.11% in 2013) for glaucoma increased over time. The mean number of outpatient visits increased (4.9-6.0 visits per year), while the proportion of hospitalized patients (2.3-1.0% of patients) and duration of hospital stay (4.5-3.4 days among hospitalized patients) decreased between 2002 and 2013 for patients with POAG. The proportion of patients not being managed by medication or surgery decreased, with POAG and PACG patients receiving medications increasing from 70.9% and 59.2% in 2002 to 88.4% and 63.3% in 2013, respectively. Finally, while the proportion of trabeculectomy decreased (22.2% to 10.0% of surgical procedures in 2002 and 2013, respectively), more patients with PACG have received iridectomy (59.3% to 86.0% of surgical procedures in 2002 and 2013, respectively).Between 2002 and 2013, the pattern of care for both patients with POAG and PACG has shifted toward management by outpatient visits and intervention with anti-glaucoma medications in Korea.

Failure of a Best Practice Alert to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing Rates for Acute Sinusitis Across an Integrated Health System in the Midwest.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern, and in recent years, there has been increased interest in ambulatory antimicrobial stewardship. Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is one of the most common outpatient diagnoses that results in an antibiotic prescription. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a best practice alert (BPA) will affect the percentage of oral antibiotic prescriptions for adults with ARS. METHODS: A prospective, pre/post study was initiated to evaluate the percentage of oral antibiotic prescriptions for ARS in 117 primary care clinics in the Midwest. Included in the study results were 16,570 adults who had an office visit for ARS: 8,106 patients from December 1, 2015, to February 28, 2016, were in the pre-intervention group without an active BPA, and 8,464 patients from December 1, 2016, to February 28, 2017, were in the post-intervention group when the BPA was active. The primary outcome was the number of oral antibiotic prescriptions for ARS compared with the number of office visits for ARS in the pre- and postintervention groups. RESULTS: The percentage of oral antibiotics prescribed for the pre- and postintervention groups were 94.8% and 94.3%, respectively (P = 0.152). The BPA displayed for 7,780 visits, prompting discontinuation of an antibiotic for 10 (0.1%) visits in the postintervention group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that, although an electronic alert may be attractive to facilitate antimicrobial stewardship, it may be ineffective. These results warrant alternative measures to facilitate ambulatory antimicrobial stewardship. DISCLOSURES: No outside funding supported this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Study concept and design were contributed by Hansen, D. Leedahl, and N. Leedahl. Hansen and N. Leedahl took the lead in data collection, with assistance from Carson and D. Leedahl. Data interpretation was performed by all the authors. The manuscript was written by Hansen, along with the other authors, and revised by all the authors.

Provision of Lifestyle Counseling and the Prescribing of Pharmacotherapy for Hyperlipidemia Among US Ambulatory Patients: A National Assessment of Office-Based Physician Visits.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 27.8% of the United States (US) population aged ≥20 years has hyperlipidemia, defined as total serum cholesterol of ≥240 mg/dL. A previous study of US physician office visits for hyperlipidemia in 2005 found both suboptimal compliance and racial/ethnic disparities in screening and treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to estimate current rates of laboratory testing, lifestyle education, and pharmacotherapy for hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Data were derived from the US National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), a nationally representative study of office-based physician visits, for 2013-2014. Patients aged ≥20 years with a primary or secondary diagnosis of hyperlipidemia were sampled. Study outcomes included receipt or ordering of total cholesterol testing, diet/nutrition counseling, exercise counseling, and pharmacotherapy prescription including statins, ezetimibe, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, or combination therapies. RESULTS: Compared with previously reported results for 2005, rates of pharmacotherapy have remained static (52.2 vs. 54.6% for 2005 and 2013-2014, respectively), while rates of lifestyle education have markedly declined for diet/nutrition (from 39.7 to 22.4%) and exercise (from 32.1 to 16.0%). Lifestyle education did not vary appreciably by race/ethnicity in 2013-2014. However, rates of lipid testing were much higher for whites (41.6%) than for blacks (29.9%) or Hispanics (34.2%). Tobacco education was ordered/provided in only 4.0% of office visits. CONCLUSION: Compliance with guidelines for the screening and treatment of hyperlipidemia remains suboptimal, and rates of lifestyle education have declined since 2005. There exists an urgent need for enhanced levels of provider intervention to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with hyperlipidemia.

Impact of Minimally Invasive Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Therapies on 30- and 90-Day Postoperative Office Encounters.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of postoperative encounters in the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods for various bladder outlet obstruction surgical therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), GreenLight laser photovaporization of the prostate (GL-PVP) (American Medical Systems Inc.), and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014 were followed for 6 months postoperatively. All postoperative encounters such as patient calls or questions, catheter exchanges or removals, and hospital-based readmissions or emergency department visits were recorded in the electronic medical record. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-one consecutive patients underwent outlet procedures during the study period: TURP (N = 199; mean age, 71 years; mean body mass index [BMI], 28.5), HoLEP (N = 60; mean age, 68 years; mean BMI, 28.1), or GL-PVP (N = 32; mean age, 72 years; mean BMI, 29.3). No statistically significant difference was observed for age, BMI, preoperative American Urological Association symptom score, or preoperative maximum flow velocity between the 3 groups. Thirty-day postoperative encounters differed significantly between the 3 surgery types (P < .001). Specifically, there were fewer encounters within 30 days of surgery for TURP compared to both HoLEP (≥1 encounter: TURP = 48.7%, HoLEP = 66.7%; P = .006) and GL-PVP (≥1 encounter: TURP = 48.7%, GL-PVP = 93.7%; P < .001). The number of encounters within 90 days postoperatively was also significantly lower for TURP patients (P < .001). CONCLUSION: TURP results in fewer postoperative encounters in both the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods compared to HoLEP and GL-PVP. Laser prostate therapies may place increased burden on clinic staff during the 30-day and 90-day postoperative periods.

Population trends and disparities in outpatient utilization of neurologists for ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient stroke utilization may be decreasing over time and may vary by patient demographics. Less is known about temporal trends and demographic variations in outpatient stroke utilization. We assessed ischemic stroke (IS)-related outpatient utilization across physician specialty and time, exploring any demographic variability, using recent US population-based data. METHODS: We identified all outpatient medical visits for IS by adults (≥ 18 years) using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) years 1998 to 2009. Physician numbers were derived from American Medical Association or American Osteopathic Association data by NAMCS. We assessed IS-related outpatient visits to neurologists and generalists over time and by patient demographics. RESULTS: We identified 9.7 million IS-related visits from 1998 to 2009. The rate of IS-related visits to neurologists increased from 0.56 million visits in 1998 to 2000 to 0.90 million visits in 2007 to 2009, representing a 62% increase over the study period. The rate of IS-related visits to generalists declined from 2.0 million visits in 1998 to 2000 to 1.6 million visits in 2007 to 2009 (18% decrease). Between 1998 and 2009, the number of neurologists increased by 23% and the number of generalists grew by 19%. The IS visit rate per 100 physicians increased by 90% for neurologists but decreased by 31% for generalists. Fewer ambulatory IS-related visits to neurologists were reported among stroke survivors who were older, female, nonwhite, or living in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Between 1998 and 2009, IS-related outpatient utilization increased substantially to neurologists but declined to generalists. We identified demographic variations in outpatient utilization of neurologists that potentially lead to disparities in stroke evaluation and management.

Trends and predictors of publicly subsidized chiropractic service use among adults age 50+.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines trends in and predictors of publicly subsidized chiropractic use from 1991 to 2000, a decade characterized by health care system reforms throughout North America. SAMPLE: The sample included adults age 50+ who visited a publicly subsidized chiropractor in the Canadian province of British Columbia during the study period. DESIGN: Administrative claims data for chiropractic service use were drawn from the Medical Services Plan (MSP) Master file in the British Columbia Linked Health Data resource. The MSP Master file contains claims reported for every provincially insured medical service and supplementary health benefit including chiropractic visits. RESULTS: Joinpoint regression analyses demonstrate that while annual rates of chiropractic users did not change over the decade, visit rates decreased during this period. Predictors of a greater number of chiropractic visits include increasing age, female gender, urban residence, low to moderate income, and use of chiropractic services earlier in the decade. CONCLUSIONS: The trend toward decreasing visit rates over the 1990s both conflicts with and is consistent with findings from other North American chiropractic studies using similar time periods. Results indicating that low and moderate income and advancing age predict more frequent chiropractic service are novel. However, given that lower income and older individuals were exempted from chiropractic service limits during this period, these results suggest support for the responsive nature of chiropractic use to financial barriers.

Utilización de medicina alternativa ocomplementaria en una población pediátrica de un hospital de comunidad / Use of alternative or complementary medicine by the pediatric population of a community hospital

de las medicinas alternativas o complementarias es una práctica cada vez más frecuente.Objetivos. Conocer la prevalencia de uso, los motivos para consultar, los beneficios percibidos y la comunicación al pediatra de cabecera, de familias que consultan en medicina alternativao complementaria.Métodos. Estudio de corte transversal. Se incluyeron todos los niños sanos de 4 a 17 años que concurrieron a la Central de Emergencias Pediátricasacompañados por un adulto responsable.La muestra se tomó en forma onsecutiva y por conveniencia.Resultados. Se invitó a participar del estudio 280 acompañantes de niños y completaron la encuesta 246. Todos los pacientes tenían sus necesidadesbásicas satisfechas y un seguro de salud. La media de edad de los niños fue de 9,2 y la de los acompañantes, de 39,6 años.El 84,5 por ciento conocía alguna medicina alternativa o complementaria y el 13 por ciento había consultado enesas prácticas en alguna oportunidad. La homeopatía fue la más conocida (76 por ciento) y la más consultada (8,8 por ciento).El 96,7 por ciento de los niños que utilizaron una medicina alternativa o complementaria continuaroncon el pediatra de cabecera, pero el 42 por ciento de los acompañantes no se lo comunicó.Entre los que consultaron a medicinas alternativas, el 42 por ciento manifestó que le brindaron mayor tiempo en la consulta, habían mejorado los síntomas por los que consultaron en el78,5 por ciento y habían dado respuesta al problema de salud en el 87 por ciento.Conclusión. El 84,5 por ciento de los encuestados conocía alguna medicina alternativa o complementariay el 13 por ciento de los niños había acudido a ella en algunaoportunidad. La homeopatía fue la másconocida y la más consultada.Casi el total de los niños que consultaron por medicina alternativa o complementaria continuaron el seguimiento clínico con el pediatrade cabecera, pero el 42 por ciento de los acompañantes no se lo comunicó.

Utilización de medicina alternativa ocomplementaria en una población pediátrica de un hospital de comunidad / Use of alternative or complementary medicine by the pediatric population of a community hospital

de las medicinas alternativas o complementarias es una práctica cada vez más frecuente.Objetivos. Conocer la prevalencia de uso, los motivos para consultar, los beneficios percibidos y la comunicación al pediatra de cabecera, de familias que consultan en medicina alternativao complementaria.Métodos. Estudio de corte transversal. Se incluyeron todos los niños sanos de 4 a 17 años que concurrieron a la Central de Emergencias Pediátricasacompañados por un adulto responsable.La muestra se tomó en forma onsecutiva y por conveniencia.Resultados. Se invitó a participar del estudio 280 acompañantes de niños y completaron la encuesta 246. Todos los pacientes tenían sus necesidadesbásicas satisfechas y un seguro de salud. La media de edad de los niños fue de 9,2 y la de los acompañantes, de 39,6 años.El 84,5 por ciento conocía alguna medicina alternativa o complementaria y el 13 por ciento había consultado enesas prácticas en alguna oportunidad. La homeopatía fue la más conocida (76 por ciento) y la más consultada (8,8 por ciento).El 96,7 por ciento de los niños que utilizaron una medicina alternativa o complementaria continuaroncon el pediatra de cabecera, pero el 42 por ciento de los acompañantes no se lo comunicó.Entre los que consultaron a medicinas alternativas, el 42 por ciento manifestó que le brindaron mayor tiempo en la consulta, habían mejorado los síntomas por los que consultaron en el78,5 por ciento y habían dado respuesta al problema de salud en el 87 por ciento.Conclusión. El 84,5 por ciento de los encuestados conocía alguna medicina alternativa o complementariay el 13 por ciento de los niños había acudido a ella en algunaoportunidad. La homeopatía fue la másconocida y la más consultada.Casi el total de los niños que consultaron por medicina alternativa o complementaria continuaron el seguimiento clínico con el pediatrade cabecera, pero el 42 por ciento de los acompañantes no se lo comunicó.(AU)

Clinical practice characteristics of osteopathic and allopathic primary care physicians at academic health centers: results from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

PURPOSE: To explore characteristics of patient visits to osteopathic physicians (DOs) and allopathic physicians (MDs) in the provision of ambulatory primary care services at academic health centers (AHCs) relative to non-AHC sites. METHOD: Physicians report patient visits to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). The authors used NAMCS data (2002-2006) to statistically estimate, characterize, and compare patient visits of four physician provider type- and AHC site-specific subgroups: DOs and MDs at non-AHC sites, and DOs and MDs at AHC sites. RESULTS: The 134,369 patient visits reported in the NAMCS database represented 4.57 billion physician office visits after the authors applied patient weights. These visits included 2.03 billion primary care patient visits (205.1 million DO visits and 1.77 billion MD visits at non-AHC sites; 5.8 million DO visits and 52.3 million MD visits at AHC sites). Practicing at an AHC site appeared to change the dynamic of the patient visit to an osteopathic physician. Most notably, these changes involved patient demographics (sex), patient visit context (practice metropolitan statistical area status, patient symptom chronicity, and injury as reason for the visit), and medical management (diagnostic testing, frequency and intensity of ordering drugs, and use of osteopathic manipulative treatment). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that osteopathic physicians in community, non-AHC settings offer a more distinctive osteopathic approach to primary care than osteopathic physicians at AHC sites, which both indicates a need for further research to explain this phenomenon and has potentially important implications for osteopathic medical education.

One-appointment endodontic therapy: biological considerations.

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a literature review to present the best available biological evidence concerning one-appointment endodontic therapy for asymptomatic teeth with apical periodontitis. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: Because of recent advances in technology, such as rotary engines and nickel-titanium instruments, some practitioners are performing one-appointment endodontic therapy for asymptomatic teeth with apical periodontitis. The authors reviewed the literature, which revealed only a small number of randomized, controlled clinical trials that have been conducted on one-appointment versus multiple-appointment endodontic therapy. RESULTS: As the apical canal preparation is enlarged, a greater percentage of bacteria is eradicated from infected root canals. In addition, sufficiently large apical root canal enlargement facilitates the delivery of antimicrobial irrigant to the apical portion of the canal. However, an association between positive or negative preobturation root canal culture results and the outcome of endodontic treatment has not been well-established. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The best available evidence, based on a systematic literature review, indicates that one-appointment endodontic therapy may be feasible in selected cases of apical periodontitis in asymptomatic teeth. However, additional randomized, controlled clinical trials are required.

National trends in nonoperative care for nonspecific back pain.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Few empirical data are available that document changes in population-based rates for the evaluation and treatment of nonspecific back pain. PURPOSE: To determine the extent of change in the pattern of outpatient evaluation and treatment of nonspecific low back pain in the United States between 1987 and 1997. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: The 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey and the 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, two nationally representative surveys with similar sampling methods and questions, were used. PATIENT SAMPLE: Noninstitutionalized adults in the United States. OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in rates of any health service for nonspecific back pain and occurrence of provider-specific care and types of services provided. Changes in the prescription of specific medication classes (ie, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], muscle relaxants, nonnarcotic and narcotic analgesics) were also investigated. RESULTS: Overall rate for outpatient treatment for nonspecific back pain in the US population was relatively stable over the decade (4.48% in 1987, 4.53% in 1997, p=.85). Among those receiving care, the proportion receiving physician care increased from 64% in 1987 to 74% in 1997 (p<.001), whereas those obtaining care from physical therapists increased from 5% to 9% during the same time period (p<.01). The proportion of respondents receiving NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, nonnarcotic analgesics and narcotic analgesics remained stable. However, the mean number of patient visits in which these medications were prescribed increased from 2.0 to 3.9 over the decade (p<.001). The proportion of individuals receiving chiropractic care (p<.01) and X- rays (p<.001) were lower in 1997 than 1987. CONCLUSIONS: The national pattern of health care for nonspecific low back pain observed in the present study serves as a basis for future investigations into the management of this major public health problem. Findings suggest that perhaps a duplication of care is partly responsible for the high degree of health care utilization in this population.