JOURNAL OF AMBULATORY CARE MANAGEMENT最新文献

Current guidelines recommend the use of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) to screen for and manage hypertension. In this study, a quality improvement project was designed to standardize the use of HBPM in a primary care setting and demonstrate improved blood pressure outcomes. Initial systolic and diastolic values were compared to averages from patient logs. Patient and provider feedback was collected. Only 40% of patients enrolled presented to follow-up with actionable HBPM data. Patients encountered logistical challenges in obtaining and presenting HBPM data. Interprofessional collaboration and improved information technology systems would improve outcomes. This will require increased policy and insurer support to make this possible in small settings.

Patients have multiple outpatient appointments for various reasons. Analyzing patients' related appointments provides insight into referral patterns, leading to recommendations for ideal care and more efficient planning. We model these appointments with causal graphs via Judea Pearl's causal graph approach. Once we define the causal relationships in the appointment data, we leverage a graph database and visualization software to investigate valuable patterns and relationships in patient care over time. The Pathways tool allows yield management at specialty, provider, or appointment levels. Leaders use this tool to anticipate a patient's downstream appointments; the tool provides insights into staffing and the impact of growing demand.

The projected increase of dementia in the diverse aging US population calls for a well-prepared public health workforce. Community health workers (CHWs) can address dementia in culturally appropriate ways. Collaborating with stakeholders, we developed a train-the-trainer curriculum for CHWs and used a virtual training platform to test its feasibility with 77 CHWs. Pre-/post-evaluation data demonstrated modestly increased dementia knowledge scores. Training participants valued the resources shared and interacting with peers. Disseminating this training could contribute to closing gaps in dementia care in diverse communities, along with policies supporting CHWs as a workforce that reduces age-related disparities and promotes health equity.

In ambulatory care, monitoring process performance measures (PPMs) is essential to meet regulatory requirements, establish targets for care, seek reimbursement, and evaluate patient care responsibilities. We implemented a comprehensive program, "Engage to Sustain," for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified medical assistants (CMAs) to practice at the top of their licensure/certification. Screening rates for 4 key PPMs (depression screening, fall risk screening, and tobacco use screening and counseling) markedly increased following this intervention across 18 ambulatory departments with more than 2 million patient visits. These results suggest that shifting responsibilities for patient screening from physicians and advanced practitioners to LPNs and CMAs may improve screening rates.

This study examined changes in provider and staff burnout in 4 Boston-area federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) participating in a pediatric behavioral health integration project. Utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSSMP), the study found that emotional exhaustion among primary care providers ( M = 20.5; confidence interval [CI], 17.8-23.2) was higher ( P = .001) than that among behavioral health clinicians ( M = 13.6; CI, 10.4-16.8) and ( P = .00005) community health workers ( M = 10.8; CI, 7.3-14.2). Emotional exhaustion among staff increased ( P = .04) from baseline ( M = 16.8; CI, 15.0-18.6) to follow-up ( M = 20.8; CI, 17.5-24.2), but burnout at follow-up was lower than national averages. FQHCs are integral in caring for marginalized patients; therefore, supporting a stable workforce by minimizing burnout is essential.