pcps

Perhaps it would be better if PCPs had a few extra arms and an extra head or two. According to new research, U.S. primary care doctors must typically address an average of six topics during a given office visit. The study, which was just published in the journal Health Services Research, used videotapes of 392 primary care doctor's visits between 1998 and 2000. (It's worth noting that all patients were aged 65 or older; given the elderly's more-fragile health status, and …

A growing Florida firm is promoting a new approach to concierge healthcare practice. Boca Raton, FL-based MDVIP, which was founded by physician Edward Goldman, helps doctors move from traditional practice to boutique practice, providing clinical and operational support focused on prevention. (In other words, MDVIP is a franchise approach, though not exactly the McDonald's of healthcare.) …

A new study comparing care trends in seven countries suggests that U.S. providers are behind on several measures of business and clinical efficiency, including technology adoption, after-hours availability and chronic disease management. To learn more about international differences in provider practices, the Commonwealth Fund surveyed 6,000 primary care physicians across Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Researchers found …

> It's a rare victory for a Medicaid plan. Rhode Island's Neighborhood Health Plan has been voted the best Medicaid HMO in the country in healthcare quality ratings issued by the NCQA and U.S. News & World Report. Article

> The Wisconsin Hospital Association has added a list of outpatient procedures to its list of hospital prices. …