Author: The HMS CME Online Team

The Role for Health Coaching in Primary Care

By Monique Tello, MD, MPH
July 25, 2019

It’s remarkable to me that while overweight and obesity are major epidemic medical problems resulting in many clinical complications, and we have solid scientific evidence showing us safe, effective interventions that actually help people to lose weight, we are not yet incorporating these methods into primary care. What’s our problem?

Want to know more about what works for weight loss? I’ll tell you: behavioral change support, in the form of a health coach. Continue reading “The Role for Health Coaching in Primary Care” →

Why Does This Doctor Talk about His Addiction? Because “Secrets Make You Sick”

[The following post by Dr. Peter Grinspoon has been shared with us by Harvard Health Publishing after originally appeared on their website in May of 2019.]

Going Public with Sobriety…

 

Alcoholism is hardly a rare disorder in the United States. According to recent studies, 12.7% of adult Americans currently suffer from alcohol use disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism; according to other studies, 29% will meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder at some point during their adult lives.

If you add drugs to the mix, addiction (substance use disorder, including alcoholism) is even more common: it is estimated that in 2015, 20.8 million Americans met criteria for a substance use disorder within the prior year.

Given how common this problem is, one might think addiction would be readily accepted by our society, and that all one would have to do in order to get support is to admit one’s problem and ask for help. Right? Continue reading “Why Does This Doctor Talk about His Addiction? Because “Secrets Make You Sick”” →

Emotional Intelligence for Physician Leaders

By Ted A James, MD, MHCM
June 13, 2019

“By teaching people to tune into their emotions with intelligence and expand their circles of caring, we can transform organizations from the inside out and make a positive difference in our world.”   –Daniel Goleman

The Hard Impact of Soft Skills

Have you ever regretted saying the wrong thing in the heat of the moment, or wished that you could quickly diffuse a tense situation, or could get a better sense of how others viewed you? Many of the challenges of health care stem from working in a highly complex, emotionally demanding environment. The ability to manage yourself and your relationships with others is an invaluable skill that physicians and other health care leaders must possess in order to be successful. Continue reading “Emotional Intelligence for Physician Leaders” →

Primary Cares Initiative Tests Value-Based Pay—Will It Work for You?

By Krishnan Narasimhan M.D.
May 8, 2019

The road from fee-for-service payments to value-based care has been a bumpy one for the entire health system. Current models have not found the most effective way to pay and incentivize primary care.

At an April 22, 2019 event in Washington, DC, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced new payment models that aim to transform primary care through value-based options. This Primary Cares Initiative 1 will also test financial risk and performance-based payments for primary care physicians. The voluntary initiative includes five new payment models under two paths—Primary Care First (PCF) and Direct Contracting (DC). These models will be rolled out in 20 states starting in 2020. Continue reading “Primary Cares Initiative Tests Value-Based Pay—Will It Work for You?” →

Best Practices for Engaging Physicians in Health Technology

By Ted James, MD, MHCM
March 28, 2019

Advances in health technology allow health care professionals and organizations to meet ever-increasing demands for performance improvement—or at least that should be the case. The problem is that the adoption of technology in health care is a slow process with many hurdles. Wearables, predictive analytics, remote medicine, EHRs, digital health, AI, diagnostic algorithms, self-care apps, and next-generation clinical decision-support all have the potential to improve patient care; however, fundamental issues with usability and implementation need to be addressed for physicians to engage with these health innovations. Continue reading “Best Practices for Engaging Physicians in Health Technology” →