Physician Perceptions of Stress and Telemedicine

Telemedicine is an emerging field in which physicians are able to interact electronically with patients to improve health. Telemedicine can be performed through virtual platforms such as email, telephone and video, and can provide or augment care to a multitude of patients. During the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the use of telemedicine has grown exponentially in an effort to continue to see patients and manage their care. The unprecedented era of social distancing and overloaded hospital systems has led many primary care providers and specialists alike to rapidly develop these capabilities in their practices. Benefits of telemedicine include: increasing access to care in areas where there are provider shortages, decreasing travel burden on patients. Drawbacks to providing care include: lack of a comprehensive physical exam, breakdown in the relationship between health professional and patients, implementing new technologies and associated training. As physicians work to provide equally high-quality care for their patients remotely, their experiences must be considered. Our project aimed to better assess the perception, comfort level and experiences of physicians using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Effect of OMM on Opioid Users with Chronic Low Back Pain

In the United States, approximately 100 million adults are affected by chronic pain, which reduces their quality of life and productivity, while accounting for billions in health care costs and lost revenue. (1) Opioids are considered the gold standard in the pharmacological treatment for chronic pain conditions, and prescriptions for opiates/opioids increased by 400% from 1999 to 2010. (1,2) Although opioid treatment is warranted during postsurgical and active cancer pain, physicians still commonly overprescribe opioids, which has led to addiction, high deaths rates by overdose, and the spread of communicable diseases. (1) Since chronic pain is sustained by noxious sensory input originating in the musculoskeletal system, it becomes a major target for osteopathic practices. (1) Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) may provide the balance that patients with chronic pain seek between state of the art interventions and individualized patient centered care. (3) Studies have shown the role of OMM in altering circulatory pain biomarkers, including the endogenous opioid system by β endorphin (βE). (4) Yet, any direct significant association of these changes to a therapeutic effect from OMM remains speculative. These studies acknowledge the further need for a larger sample size and a controlled prospective design to help physicians and patients make safer opioid therapy decisions