J Am Board Fam Med
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Comparative Study Observational Study
The Effects of Telephone Visits and Rurality on Veterans Perceptions of Access to Primary Care.
The objectives of this study were to examine if self-reported access to primary care is associated with actual patient wait times and use of telephone visits, and to assess whether this relationship differs by rural residence. ⋯ These findings contribute to our understanding of factors associated with patient perceptions of access by highlighting complex interrelationships between strategies intended to improve access to care and how they can have differing impacts on perceptions among those living in rural or urban locations.
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Although there have been analyses on the qualities associated with individuals who chose to repeatedly donate blood, there is little known about national blood donation rates in the United States. To address this lack of information, this article uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to assess changes in the national rates of blood donation among adults aged 20 years and older. ⋯ Although the national blood donation rate has not changed significantly, significant changes in donation rates have occurred among a number of US subpopulations.
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Primary care has changed in the past 40 years, and research performed within and by practice-based research networks (PBRN) needs to change to keep up with the current practice landscape. A key task for PBRNs is to connect with today's stakeholders, not only the traditional physicians, providers, office staff, and patients, but health systems, insurance companies, and government agencies. ⋯ PBRNs are also demonstrating how they use classic practice-based research techniques of practice facilitation and electronic health record (EHR) data extraction and reporting in new and important research areas, such as studying the opioid epidemic. PBRNs are adapting and transforming along with primary care.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Predictors of Medication-Assisted Treatment Initiation for Opioid Use Disorder in an Interdisciplinary Primary Care Model.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is underused in primary care. Little is known about patient demographics associated with MAT initiation, particularly among models with an interdisciplinary approach, including behavioral health integration. We hypothesize few disparities in MAT initiation by patient characteristics after implementing this model for OUD. ⋯ MAT initiation varied by patient characteristics, including disparities by insurance coverage and race/ethnicity. The addition of behavioral health did not eliminate disparities in care, but higher odds of initiation among those with a documented psychiatric diagnosis may suggest this model reaches some vulnerable populations. Additional research is needed to further examine these findings.