High-Performing Teamlets in Primary Care: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis.

Purpose: In efforts to improve patient care, collaborative approaches to care have been highlighted. The teamlet model is one such approach, in which a primary care clinician works consistently with the same clinical staff member. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of high-performing primary care teamlets, defined as teamlets with low rates of ambulatory care sensitive emergency department (ACSED) visits and ambulatory care sensitive hospital admissions (ACSAs).

Perspectives of Physicians with Experience in Nursing Home Care on Telehealth Use During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

Background: Despite expanded access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes (NHs) during the COVID-19 public health emergency, information on physicians' perspectives on the feasibility and challenges of telehealth provision for NH residents is lacking.

Objective: To examine physicians' perspectives on the appropriateness and challenges of providing telehealth in NHs.

Participants: Medical directors or attending physicians in NHs.

The Association of Teamlets and Teams with Physician Burnout and Patient Outcomes.

Background: Primary care "teamlets" in which a staff member and physician consistently work together might provide a simple, cost-effective way to improve care, with or without insertion within a team.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and performance of teamlets and teams.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study linking survey responses to Medicare claims.

Relationship Between Physician Burnout And The Quality And Cost Of Care For Medicare Beneficiaries Is Complex.

Despite reports of a physician burnout epidemic, there is little research on the relationship between burnout and objective measures of care outcomes and no research on the relationship between burnout and costs of care. Linking survey data from 1,064 family physicians to Medicare claims, we found no consistent statistically significant relationship between seven categories of self-reported burnout and measures of ambulatory care-sensitive admissions, ambulatory care-sensitive emergency department visits, readmissions, or costs. The coefficients for ambulatory care-sensitive admissions and readmissions for all burnout levels, compared with never being burned out, were consistently negative (fewer ambulatory care-sensitive admissions and readmissions), suggesting that, counterintuitively, physicians who report burnout may nevertheless be able to create better outcomes for their patients.

Time and Financial Costs for Physician Practices to Participate in the Medicare Merit-based Incentive Payment System: A Qualitative Study.

Importance: The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is a major Medicare value-based purchasing program, influencing payment for more than 1 million clinicians annually. There is a growing concern that MIPS increases administrative burden, and little is known about what it costs physician practices to participate in the program.

Objective: To examine the costs for independent physician practices to participate in MIPS in 2019.

The Growth Of Private Equity Investment In Health Care: Perspectives From Ophthalmology.

The growth of private equity investment in health care has dramatically changed the landscape of health care delivery over the past decade. Private equity firms are rapidly acquiring physician practices, with ophthalmology practices being one of the most frequently acquired types. We present perspectives from thirty-five semistructured interviews conducted with a wide range of knowledgeable people on private equity investment in physician practices, with a specific focus on ophthalmology.