November 18, 2021 | Ahead in 2022: Loss of trust and more med errors

INDUSTRY NEWS

Ahead in 2022: Loss of trust and more med errors

Health care will no longer be considered a trusted industry in 2022 because of the spread of misinformation and increases in cyberattacks. “Until the industry demonstrates an ability to rein in these risks, health care will only move backward in measures of trust,” according to a report from Forester research. Fierce Healthcare shared several other findings. Among these: Labor shortages and clinician burnout will double the medication error rate, and 60% of virtual visits will relate to mental health. (FierceHealthcare)

Medicare B rates to increase

Seniors on Medicare will pay more than $21 extra per month in premiums next year. CMS officials attribute the large increase—at least in part—to possible coverage of Aduhelm, a pricey and controversial new Alzheimer's drug. The monthly premium for Medicare Part B, which covers services such as office visits, will increase by $21.60, from $148.50 in 2021 to $170.10 in 2022—one of the largest increases in recent years. (The Hill)

Behavioral health lags in EHR adoption

Behavioral health providers have fallen behind in adopting EHRs, Behavioral Health Business reports. Psychiatric hospitals are using EHRs at 46% vs. 96% in general medicine and surgical practices, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Office-based physicians practicing psychiatry are at 61% EHR adoption vs. over 93% in everything from general practice and surgery to urology and cardiology. Behavioral health providers aren’t typically included in health information exchanges. (Behavioral Health Business)

INNOVATION & TRANSFORMATION

Pelzman: Create a structure to better address mental health needs

It’s time for a mental health patient-centered home, primary care physician Fred N. Pelzman, MD, argues in his MedPage Today column. PCPs do their best with these patients, but “we don't really have a mechanism in place for longitudinal management of mental health disorders in our practice.” His proposal: “Form a structure for mental health care into which almost every one of our patients would be entered when a diagnosis of depression or anxiety or something else that we're going to manage is placed on their problem list, or when a psychiatric medication is added to their medication list.” (MedPage Today*)

CONSUMERS & PROVIDERS

Employers up mental health coverage

In its 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that many employers have provided increased mental health and other benefits during the pandemic. For example, many broadened their mental health and substance use coverage. Overall, the proportion of employers offering health insurance to their workers remained steady, and increases for premiums and out-of-pocket health expenses were moderate. For the most part, deductibles remained unchanged. (KHN; 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey)

Diagnostic “pitfalls” to watch out for

Medical errors can vary greatly, but there are several types of typical diagnostic "pitfalls" that clinicians should especially watch out for, Gordon Schiff, MD, associate director of the Brigham and Women's Center for Patient Safety Research told a meeting of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. Medpage Today includes a list of the pitfalls he discussed. Among the issues he outlined: failure to order a needed test, lack of appropriate (or any) follow up and failure to heavily weigh a critical piece of the patient's history. (MedPage Today*)

Consumers trust websites more than ever

Consumers, regardless of age, are putting more trust in health websites than they have in the past, according to CMI Media Group’s latest Media Vitals annual report. Branded websites saw the biggest trust gains across all age groups, especially among millennials. The doctor’s office, nonetheless, remains the go-to source for health information across all age groups. However, older consumers are more likely to say they follow their doctors’ orders. Younger patients are more likely to supplement information they get from providers with their own research. (FiercePharma; report)

NEW & NOTED

CMM lets pharmacists demonstrate value: Opportunities abound for pharmacists to participate in comprehensive medication management to demonstrate their value and achieve savings and reimbursements for their practices, Pharmacy Practice News reports. It then provides insights on how to implement and execute CMM. (Pharmacy Practice News)

Informational art: A St. Jude Kids Coloring Book, COVID-19 Vaccines, is the latest of three books published by the hospital meant to inform children about the COVID-19 pandemic. It is available as a free download. (St. Jude coloring book; Healio)

More veggies! Diets with higher inflammatory potential are associated with an increased risk of incident dementia, according to research published in Neurology. (Neurology; MedPage Today*)

MULTI-MEDIA

Survey: Family insurance plan costs employers $22K+

A new survey finds the average cost of an employer-provided family plan costs more than $22,000. That’s one of the topics covered this week in Kaiser Health News’ “What the Health” podcast. It will also feature an interview with Rebecca Love, a nurse academic and entrepreneur, about the impending crisis in nursing. (“What the Health?”)

MARKETVOICES…QUOTES WORTH READING

"Diet might play a role in combating inflammation, one of the biological pathways contributing to risk for dementia and cognitive impairment later in life.”—Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, PhD, of Columbia University in New York City and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School in Greece, talking to MedPage Today*