Happy National Doctors' Day! March 29, 2019
Tomorrow, the country celebrates National Doctors' Day. The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians sincerely thanks its members for all they do for their patients, providing the best compassionate care to each person who steps into the exam room. We truly appreciate your tireless efforts, and we are so proud to work for you in the name of quality patient care.
Track PAFP's advocacy efforts with legislative agenda March 28, 2019
The PAFP's advocacy team is always working in Harrisburg on behalf of family physicians. Members can track the legislative goings-on with via the PAFP's State Legislative Agenda. From prior authorization reform to direct primary care, the State Legislative Agenda is a comprehensive look at issues at the state capitol that PAFP members need to be aware of.
New rules will ease patients' access to EHRs March 27, 2019
Patients may soon have easier access to the information contained in their electronic health records (EHRs). According to Kaiser Health News, the chairman of the Senate Health Committee has backed new federal regulations to remove barriers patients face in obtaining their own information. The rules were proposed last month by the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Burnout rises with hours worked March 26, 2019
As a physician's hours of work increases, so does their level of burnout. That's according to the American Medical Association, which reports that a new study on physician burnout, depression, and suicide has found the odds of experiencing burnout increase 3 percent for each additional hour worked per week; 50 percent of doctors work 61-70 hours weekly.
Meet the PAFP's Family Physician of the Year March 25, 2019
Go in-depth with the PAFP's 2019 Family Physician of the Year William Taddonio, MD in the pages of the Reading Eagle! Dr. Taddonio was nominated for the award by dozens of his patients and colleagues who attested to his bedside manner, understanding, and compassion. Click here to read the full story and get to know the family physician named top in the state!
Medications to treat opioid addiction vastly underused March 21, 2019
Medications that have proven to treat people with opioid use disorder (OUD) are vastly underused in the United States. According to U.S. News & World Report, only a fraction of the 2 million people in the U.S. suffering from OUD are receiving the medications, which include naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone, which help control cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Get involved with grassroots advocacy March 20, 2019
One of the ways primary care professionals can effect change is to personally engage those individuals who write and pass legislation on the state level. Physicians and medical students are well-respected members of the community and having their voices heard makes a difference. The PAFP has put together a brief primer to help you get involved.
Physician burnout on the rise? March 19, 2019
The physician burnout rate increased between 2014 and 2017, according to a recent study. HealthDay reports research published in JAMA Network Open measured trends and examined factors related to physician burnout in a survey study and found an increase in burnout over the three-year period, from 40.6 to 45.6 percent, with early-career physicians most susceptible.
2019 marks decade of growth in family medicine March 18, 2019
This year's National Resident Matching Program residency match marks a decade of year-over-year growth for family medicine. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), 2019 is the seventh year running that medical students matching into family medicine reached an all-time high: 3,848 medical students and graduates are beginning family medicine careers.
Doctors writing half as many opioid prescriptions: study March 14, 2019
Efforts to address a rise in prescription drug overdoses may be having an effect. According to Time, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that new prescriptions from opioids dropped by more than half - 54 percent - from 2012 to 2017. The number of doctors prescribing opioids for the first time to patients also fell dramatically.
NPs push for 'full practice authority' March 13, 2019
Since 2013, the Pa. Coalition of Nurse Practitioners has sought the elimination of collaborative agreements through state legislation and last week thanked Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) for once again introducing Senate Bill 25. Last session, the bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House. For complete details on this story, visit our Progress Notes newsletter.
AAFP: Medicare Advantage plans must rein in prior auth March 12, 2019
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has joined nearly 100 other professional medical organizations asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to require Medicare Advantage plans to "selectively apply" prior authorization requirements where they are most needed. Please click here to view the organizations' letter to CMS.
Join us in Raystown Lake this summer! March 11, 2019
Missed us in Gettysburg? Never fear - live sessions from the PAFP's Gettysburg CME Conference will be posted online within the coming weeks. And be sure to mark Aug. 8-10 on your calendar now for our family friendly dermatology and outdoor medicine event at Raystown Lake and Conference Center. Complete details on the program and pricing coming to your inbox soon!
PAFP Annual Business Meeting to stream live online March 6, 2019
The PAFP's Annual Business Meeting will be streaming live online on www.pafp.com and PAFP Connect for members who are unable to attend the event. To view, join us on this website or PAFP Connect Friday, March 8. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. ET. If you don't yet have the PAFP mobile app, download it onto your Apple or Android device.
U.S. deaths from drugs, alcohol, suicide hit high March 5, 2019
The number of U.S. deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide have hit a record high since federal data collection began in 1999. USA Today reports the national rate for such deaths increased 6 percent to 46.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017, a slower increase than the previous two years but greater than the average 4 percent annual increase since 1999.
Docs: Stricter requirements needed to boost vaccine rates March 1, 2019
Nearly half of physicians believe that vaccine requirements should be more stringent to boost immunization rates. According to Becker's Hospital Review, 48 percent of physicians in a recent poll said stricter requirements are the most effective way to increase rates; 94 percent said parents or guardians should be required to vaccinate their healthy children against diseases.