[Organization and practice in family medicine. What's new in the 2024 literature?] / Organisation des soins en médecine de famille. Quoi de neuf dans la littérature scientifique en 2024 ?

This is a selection of some important studies recently published and dealing with several key organization and functioning features of family medicine. This year, the articles focus on organizational responses to emergencies in family medicine. In this field, the use of primary care professionals other than physicians is an interesting solution. One article examines direct access to a physiotherapist, with very positive results, while a second explores the wide-ranging skills of advanced practice nurses in the emergency field. In some countries, such as Belgium, the use of teleconsultation in primary care is also being considered to avoid inappropriate use of hospital emergencies. Finally, more macroscopic organizational aspects of the healthcare system and the role of primary care in health emergencies will be considered in the last article.

Cet article présente une sélection d'études récemment publiées et explorant différents aspects du fonctionnement de la médecine de famille (MF). Elles sont centrées sur les réponses organisationnelles face à l'urgence en MF. Dans ce domaine, le recours à d'autres professionnels de soins primaires que les médecins est une approche intéressante. Ainsi un premier article porte sur l'accès direct au physiothérapeute et montre des résultats très positifs ; un second décrit les compétences des infirmières de pratique avancée mobilisables dans l'urgence. Le recours à la téléconsultation est aussi envisagé pour une utilisation plus appropriée des urgences hospitalières dans certains pays. Enfin, les aspects organisationnels plus macroscopiques sur la place des soins primaires dans l'urgence sanitaire sont réfléchis dans un dernier article.

Research to Improve Clinical Care in Family Medicine: Big Data, Telehealth, Artificial Intelligence, and More.

This issue highlights changes in medical care delivery since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and features research to advance the delivery of primary care. Several articles report on the effectiveness of telehealth, including its use for hospital follow-up, medication abortion, management of diabetes, and as a potential tool for reducing health disparities. Other articles detail innovations in clinical practice, from the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to a validated simple risk score that can support outpatient triage decisions for patients with COVID-19. Notably one article reports the impact of a voluntary program using scribes in a large health system on physician documentation behaviors and performance. One article addresses the wage gap between early-career female and male family physicians. Several articles report on inappropriate testing for common health problems; are you following recommendations for ordering Pulmonary Function Tests, mt-sDNA for colon cancer screening, and HIV testing?

Family Medicine Team Perspectives on Screening for Health-Related Social Needs.

INTRODUCTION: Social drivers of health (SDH) strongly influence health outcomes and disparities. Although systemic level change is vital to address the disparities driven by SDH, it is also crucial that health care organizations develop the ability to care for patients in a manner that accounts for social factors and their influence on patient health. Although primary care is a natural fit for health-related social needs (HRSN) screening and intervention, significant barriers can impede primary care's effectiveness in this area. METHODS: We conducted 3 focus groups with family medicine clinicians, clinical staff, and social care workers in an academic medical center using a semistructured discussion guide to explore current practices, perceived benefits, barriers, and potential opportunities and approaches for integrating routine HRSN screening in primary care. RESULTS: 3 primary themes emerged from the focus groups. They included 1) the barriers to routine screening in primary care, including time, workload, emotional burden, patient factors, and team members' fear of inadequacy of resources or their own ability; 2) the importance and benefit of HRSN screening, including the opportunity to improve patient care through increased care team awareness of the patient's context, interventions to address HRSN, and improved relationships between the care team and the patient; and 3) recommendations for implementing routine screening in primary care, including opportunities to optimize workflow and technology, the importance of an electronic medical record (EMR)-integrated resource database, and the centrality of teamwork. DISCUSSION: Family medicine health care teams embrace the importance of HRSN screening and the potential for positive impact. However, there are vital barriers and considerations to address for HRSN screening to be effectively integrated into primary care visits.

Telemedicine in Service of Family Doctors in North Macedonia: Search for the New Frontier for Medical Professionals.

Introduction: Innovative medical technologies such as telemedicine, telehealth, and artificial intelligence have great potential in North Macedonia. Our nation was a leader in the region in advancing internet connections. A key barrier to wider adoption has been human resources. Material and Methods: Family doctors are skilled and trained enough to accept and use these technologies in everyday work. In our School of Family Medicine, we thought that additional training was necessary. This was the key objective of our task-if telemedicine and telehealth are presented to a critical mass of doctors as yet another tool that will make their day-to-day work easier, the "chain reaction" of adopting and applying telemedicine and telehealth would not be stopped. Discussion: To further study this objective, we started with a pilot project with a course in telemedicine and telehealth for future family medicine specialists. Telepsychiatry and teledermatology were the first modules to be taught. In addition, telehealth care equipment was also presented to participants. Conclusion: Participants' reactions were very positive.

Actividades de enfermería y medicina familiar y comunitaria en los equipos de primer nivel de atención de Uruguay / Involvement of family and community doctors and nurses in primary health care activities in Uruguay / Atividades de enfermagem e medicina de família e comunidade nas equipes de atenção de primeiro nível do Uruguai

Resumen: Objetivo: determinar cómo debería distribuirse la responsabilidad sobre las actividades entre enfermería profesional y medicina familiar y comunitaria en un equipo de primer nivel de atención. Método: estudio exploratorio de consulta a expertos de la academia. Resultados: participaron nueve expertas de enfermería comunitaria de la Facultad de Enfermería y once expertos de medicina familiar y comunitaria de la Facultad de Medicina de la UDELAR. Se identificaron similitudes y diferencias entre ambos grupos de expertos sobre cómo distribuir la responsabilidad de cada profesión en la realización de un grupo de actividades a desarrollarse en el primer nivel de atención. Conclusiones: por primera vez en el país se analizó la distribución de funciones de dos disciplinas de la salud en forma conjunta. Se encontró un alto grado de acuerdo en las actividades que deben desarrollar los equipos de atención de primer nivel. Los expertos identificaron un importante número de actividades que pueden y/o deben ser desarrolladas por ambas profesiones, con igual responsabilidad y un bajo número preferente o exclusivo de cada profesión. La distribución de funciones y actividades entre estos profesionales en forma suplementaria, complementaria o sustituta aportaría a la definición de modelos de dotación que mejoren la calidad y los costos de atención.

Abstract: Objective: the study aims to define how the different activities in primary health care should be distributed between nurse clinicians and family and community physicians as members of the same health team. Method: exploratory study by consulting experts from the Academia. Results: nine expert community nurses from the Community Nursing program of the School of Nursing and eleven experts in Family and Community Medicine from the School of Medicine, University of the Republic, participated in the study. Similarities and differences between the groups of experts were identified in terms of ways of distributing the different activities in primary health care between the two professions. Conclusions: for the first time in the country, the distribution of services provided by two health disciplines was jointly explored in the same study. A high degree of agreement was found in the activities to be developed by primary health teams. Experts identified a great number of activities that may or must be evenly performed by both professions and a small number that is the exclusive responsibility of one profession or it should preferably be performed by one of them. The distribution of functions and activities between these two professions by adding, complementing or substituting one another would contribute to the definition of supply models the improve the quality and costs of health care services.

Resumo: Objetivo: determinar como a responsabilidade pelas atividades deve ser distribuída entre o profissional de enfermagem e medicina de família e comunidade em uma equipe de atenção de primeiro nível. Método: estudo exploratório de consulta com especialistas da academia. Resultados: participaram nove especialistas em enfermagem comunitária da Faculdade de Enfermagem e onze especialistas em medicina de família e comunidade da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade da República Oriental do Uruguai (UDELAR). Foram identificadas semelhanças e diferenças entre os dois grupos de especialistas, sobre como distribuir a responsabilidade de cada profissão na realização de um conjunto de atividades a serem desenvolvidas no primeiro nível de atenção. Conclusões: pela primeira vez no país, a distribuição de funções de duas disciplinas da saúde foi analisada conjuntamente. Encontrou-se alto grau de concordância nas atividades que as equipes de atenção básica deveriam realizar. Os especialistas identificaram um número significativo de atividades que podem e/ou devem ser realizadas por ambas as profissões com igual responsabilidade e um número baixo que é preferível ou exclusivo para cada profissão. A distribuição de funções e atividades entre esses profissionais de forma suplementar, complementar ou substitutiva contribuiria para a definição de modelos de distribuição de atividades que melhorem a qualidade e os custos da assistência.

Implementing Clinic First Guiding Actions Across 4 Family Medicine Residency Clinics.

PROBLEM: Family medicine faculty and residents have observed that continuity clinic is often unsatisfying, attributed to a lack of patient and team continuity and erratic clinic schedules pieced together after the prioritization of hospital service and rotation schedules. APPROACH: In 2019, a 3-year Clinic First project, called Clinic as Curriculum (CaC), was launched across the 4 family medicine residencies of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School. The department began publishing quarterly CaC dashboard data. Each clinic completed a baseline assessment of their performance on the 13 Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care. Using their baseline data, each clinic identified which block or blocks, in addition to the blocks on continuity of care and resident scheduling, to focus on. The plan is to collaboratively implement the overall and local goals using dashboard data and iterative process improvement over 3 years. OUTCOMES: At baseline, clinics functioned quite well with respect to the 13 building blocks, but CaC dashboard data varied across the 4 clinics, with large variation between clinics on how frequently faculty were scheduled in the clinic and the proportion of total clinic visits seen by faculty. Resident continuity rates were low (range, 38%-47%). Level loading (consistent physician availability to meet patient demand) rates ranged from 1 to 11 days a month. Regarding resident schedules, 2 programs are moving from 4-week to 2-week inpatient blocks, and 2 programs are exploring longitudinal scheduling. One clinic will assign faculty and residents to specific clinic days. Two clinics are implementing microteams of 1 faculty and 3-4 residents. NEXT STEPS: The authors plan to analyze the dashboard data longitudinally; explore microteams, team continuity, and team scheduling adherence; and develop and implement resident scheduling changes over the next 3 years.

Mood responses to COVID-19: Implications for family practice in South Africa.

The effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the mood responses of individuals is an important indicator of how society is coping with the pandemic. Characterising mood responses in a South African sample could prepare clinicians for possible presentations of mental health concerns in general practice. This study described mood responses during COVID-19 Alert Level 1. The sample of 641 participants who completed the Brunel Mood State Scale during November 2020 was drawn from primary healthcare and family medicine clinics and practices in Cape Town. Their mood response profile was described and compared with pre-COVID-19 norms. The mood profile represented an inverse iceberg profile, with mean scores deviating significantly from pre-COVID-19 norms across all six mood dimensions measured. The inverse iceberg profile had been associated with a range of psychopathologies, suggesting an increased risk of psychological disorders. The current profile of mood responses could alert clinicians to the possibility of increased mental health needs of patients. Patient reports of prolonged anxiety and fatigue, particularly when combined with low mood and low vigour, could signal the need for intervention or referral for further mental health support.

Clinical Redeployment of an Academic Family Medicine Department in an Early, Severe COVID-19 Pandemic in the Bronx, NY.

INTRODUCTION: A severe surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 infected 33% of the population and caused more than 7000 deaths in the Bronx, NY. The Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center rapidly and strategically reconfigured clinical services to meet the needs of patients, communities, and the health system. CLINICAL RECONFIGURATION: Family medicine hospitalist services tripled in size within 2 weeks to cover 71 beds and cared for 447 patients between March 24 and June 10, 2020, of whom 279 (62.4%) had COVID-19. Community health centers reorganized to maintain primary care services, shifting abruptly to telemedicine while maintaining 95% of the previous year's visit volume, and address intensified patient needs related to viral infection and mental health impacts. Core principles for redeployment included role flexibility, communication, responsiveness, and safety and wellness. DISCUSSION: During a pandemic surge, academic family medicine departments have an important role in expanding hospitalist services and redesigning primary care services. The ability to reconfigure work to meet unprecedented demands on health care was facilitated by family medicine's broad scope of practice including training in hospital medicine, interpersonal communication, behavioral health, care across settings, collaborative partnerships with specialists, and adaptability to communities' needs.

Medication risk management and health equity in New Zealand general practice: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Despite an overt commitment to equity, health inequities are evident throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. A general practice electronic alert system was developed to notify clinicians about their patient's risk of harm due to their pre-existing medical conditions or current medication. We aimed to determine whether there were any disparities in clinician action taken on the alert based on patient ethnicity or other demographic factors. METHODS: Sixty-six New Zealand general practices from throughout New Zealand participated. Data were available for 1611 alerts detected for 1582 patients between 1 and 2018 and 1 July 2019. The primary outcome was whether action was taken following an alert or not. Logistic regression was used to assess if patients of one ethnicity group were more or less likely to have action taken. Potential confounders considered in the analyses include patient age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation, number of long term diagnoses and number of long term medications. RESULTS: No evidence of a difference was found in the odds of having action taken amongst ethnicity groups, however the estimated odds for Maori and Pasifika patients were lower compared to the European group (Maori OR 0.88, 95 %CI 0.63-1.22; Pasifika OR 0.88, 95 %CI 0.52-1.49). Females had significantly lower odds of having action taken compared to males (OR 0.76, 95 %CI 0.59-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis of data arising from a general practice electronic alert system in New Zealand found clinicians typically took action on those alerts. However, clinicians appear to take less action for women and Maori and Pasifika patients. Use of a targeted alert system has the potential to mitigate risk from medication-related harm. Recognising clinician biases may improve the equitability of health care provision.

Adoption, feasibility and safety of a family medicine-led remote monitoring program for patients with COVID-19: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Virtual care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) allows providers to monitor COVID-19-positive patients with variable trajectories while reducing the risk of transmission to others and ensuring health care capacity in acute care facilities. The objective of this descriptive analysis was to assess the initial adoption, feasibility and safety of a family medicine-led remote monitoring program, COVIDCare@Home, to manage the care of patients with COVID-19 in the community. METHODS: COVIDCare@Home is a multifaceted, interprofessional team-based remote monitoring program developed at an ambulatory academic centre, the Women's College Hospital in Toronto. A descriptive analysis of the first cohort of patients admitted from Apr. 8 to May 11, 2020, was conducted. Lessons from the implementation of the program are described, focusing on measure of adoption (number of visits per patient total, with a physician or with a nurse; length of follow-up), feasibility (received an oximeter or thermometer; consultation with general internal medicine, social work or mental health, pharmacy or acute ambulatory care unit) and safety (hospitalizations, mortality and emergency department visits). RESULTS: The COVIDCare@Home program cared for a first cohort of 97 patients (median age 41 yr, 67% female) with 415 recorded virtual visits. Patients had a median time from positive testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to first appointment of 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 2-4) days, with a median virtual follow-up time of 8 (IQR 5-10) days. A total of 4 (4%) had an emergency department visit, with no patients requiring hospitalization and no deaths; 16 (16%) of patients required support with mental and social health needs. INTERPRETATION: A family medicine-led, team-based remote monitoring program can safely manage the care of outpatients diagnosed with COVID-19. Virtual care approaches, particularly those that support patients with more complex health and social needs, may be an important part of ongoing health system efforts to manage subsequent waves of COVID-19 and other diseases.

COVID-19 disruption: Family physicians at the forefront.

No abstract available.

Continuity of Cancer Care and Collaboration Between Family Physicians and Oncologists: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Collaboration between family physicians (FPs) and oncologists can be challenging. We present the results of a randomized clinical trial of an intervention designed to improve continuity of care and interprofessional collaboration, as perceived by patients with lung cancer and their FPs. METHODS: The intervention included (1) supplying FPs with standardized summaries related to each patient, (2) recommending that patients see their FP after receiving the cancer diagnosis, (3) supplying the oncology team with patient information resulting from FP visits, and (4) providing patients with priority access to FPs as needed. A total of 206 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 104) or control group (n = 102), and 86.4% of involved FPs participated. Perceptions of continuity of care and interprofessional collaboration were assessed every 3 months for patients and at baseline and at the end of the study for FPs. Patient distress and health service utilization were also assessed. RESULTS: Patients and FPs in the intervention group perceived better interprofessional collaboration (patients: P <.0001; FPs: P = .0006) than those in the control group. Patients reported better informational continuity (P = .001) and management continuity (P = .05) compared to the control group, but no differences were found for FPs (information: P = .22; management: P = .13). No effect was found with regard to patient distress or health service utilization. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention improved patient and FP perception of interprofessional collaboration, but its effectiveness on continuity of care was less clear for FPs than for patients. Additional strategies should be considered to sustainably improve continuity of care and interprofessional collaboration.

Site of Care for COVID-19-Like Respiratory Illnesses.

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness. Historically, upper and lower respiratory illness has been cared for at home or in the ambulatory primary care setting. It is likely that patients experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms may first contact their primary care provider. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a representative sample of patients from the United States that regularly assesses their use of medical care services. We analyzed 2017 MEPS data to determine the number and proportion of patients who were seen in primary care or family medicine ambulatory settings or hospitalized for upper or lower respiratory illness or pneumonia. In a given year, 19.5 million patients are seen by primary care for an upper respiratory illness, 10.7 million patients for bronchitis, and 9 million for pneumonia. In contrast, 890,000 patients are hospitalized with pneumonia. Given that a primary etiology for respiratory illness in early 2020 was SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19), primary care practices likely were the site of first contact for most patients with COVID-19 illness. Unfortunately, there has been inadequate support for in-person and telehealth visits. Primary care clinicians reported serious shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity. Inadequate reimbursement for telehealth visits coupled with decreased in-person visits put primary care practices at risk of layoffs and closure. Policies related to primary care payment, federal relief efforts, PPE access, testing and follow-up capacity, and telehealth technical support are essential so primary care can provide first contact and continuity for their patients and communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery.

Family Physicians' Role in Simplifying Medication Abortion During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Despite first trimester abortion being common and safe, there are numerousrestrictions that lead to barriers to seeking abortion care. The COVID-19 pandemic hasonly exacerbated these barriers, as many state legislators push to limit abortion accesseven further. During this pandemic, family physicians across the country haveincorporated telemedicine into their practices to continue to meet patient needs.Medication abortion can be offered to patients by telemedicine in most states, andmultiple studies have shown that labs, imaging, and physical exam may not beessential in all cases. Family physicians are well-poised to incorporate medicationabortion into their practices using approaches that limit the spread of the coronavirus,ultimately increasing access to abortion in these unprecedented times.

Teachings After COVID-19 Outbreak From a Survey of Family Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the dramatic escalation in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases worldwide has had a significant impact on health care systems. Family physicians (FPs) have played a critical role in the coordination of care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In April 2020, we performed an online prospective survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on FPs' practices. RESULTS: Three hundred FPs were included. Mean age was 53.6 ± 13.5 years. Before the pandemic, 60.2% reported >75 outpatient visits/week, which reduced down to an average of <20/week for 79.8% of FPs; 24.2% of FPs discontinued home visits, while for 94.7% of FPs there was a >50% increase in the number of telephone consultations. Concern related to the risk of contagion was elevated (≥3/5 in 74.6%) and even higher to the risk of infecting relatives and patients (≥3/5 in 93.3%). The majority of FPs (87%) supported the role of telemedicine in the near future. Satisfaction regarding the network with hospitals/COVID-19-dedicated wards received a score ≤2/5 in 46.9% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the working practices of FPs. A collaboration is needed with well-established networks between FPs and referral centers to provide new insights and opportunities to inform future working practices.

Could Telehealth Improve Equity During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many physicians and health care systems have shifted to providing care via telehealth as much as possible. Although necessary to control spread of the virus and preserve personal protective equipment, this shift highlights existing disparities in access and care. Patients without the skills and tools to access telehealth services may increase their risk of exposure by seeking care in person or may delay care entirely. We know that patients need internet access, devices capable of visual communication, and the skills to use these devices to experience the full benefits of telehealth, yet we also know that disparities are present in each of these areas. Currently, federal programs have given physicians greater flexibility in providing care remotely and have expanded internet access for vulnerable patients to promote telehealth services. However, these changes are temporary and it is uncertain which will remain when the pandemic is over. Family medicine physicians have an important role to play in identifying and addressing these disparities and facilitating more equitable care moving forward.