Physician Characteristics Associated With Ordering 4 Low-Value Screening Tests in Primary Care

Importance: Efforts to reduce low-value tests and treatments in primary care are often ineffective. These efforts typically target physicians broadly, most of whom order low-value care infrequently. Objectives: To measure physician-level use rates of 4 low-value screening tests in primary care to investigate the presence and characteristics of primary care physicians who frequently order low-value care. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using administrative health care claims collected between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2016, in Ontario, Canada. This study measured use of 4 low-value screening tests-repeated dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, electrocardiograms (ECGs), Papanicolaou (Pap) tests, and chest radiographs (CXRs)-among low-risk outpatients rostered to a common cohort of primary care physicians. Exposures: Physician sex, years since medical school graduation, and primary care model. Main Outcomes and Measures: This study measured the number of tests to which a given physician ranked in the top quintile by ordering rate. The resulting cross-test score (range, 0-4) reflects a physician's propensity to order low-value care across screening tests. Physicians were then dichotomized into infrequent or isolated frequent users (score, 0 or 1, respectively) or generalized frequent users for 2 or more tests (score, ≥2). Results: The final sample consisted of 2394 primary care physicians (mean [SD] age, 51.3 [10.0] years; 50.2% female), who were predominantly Canadian medical school graduates (1701 [71.1%]), far removed from medical school graduation (median, 25.3 years; interquartile range, 17.3-32.3 years), and reimbursed via fee-for-service in a family health group (1130 [47.2%]), far removed from medical school graduation (median, 25.3 years; interquartile range, 17.3-32.3 years), and reimbursed via fee-for-service in a family health group (1130 [47.2%). They ordered 302 509 low-value screening tests (74 167 DXA scans, 179 855 ECGs, 19 906 Pap tests, and 28 581 CXRs) after 3 428 557 ordering opportunities. Within the cohort, generalized frequent users represented 18.4% (441 of 2394) of physicians but ordered 39.2% (118 665 of 302 509) of all low-value screening tests. Physicians who were male (odds ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.01-1.64), further removed from medical school graduation (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04), or in an enhanced fee-for-service payment model (family health group) vs a capitated payment model (family health team) (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.42-2.94) had increased odds of being generalized frequent users. Conclusions and Relevance: This study identified a group of primary care physicians who frequently ordered low-value screening tests. Tailoring future interventions to these generalized frequent users might be an effective approach to reducing low-value care

Pylephlebitis and pyogenic liver abscesses: A complication of hemorrhoidal banding

Hemorrhoidal banding is a well-established and safe outpatient procedure. Septic complications of hemorrhoidal banding are rare but can be fatal. The first case of pylephlebitis (septic portal vein thrombosis) and pyogenic liver abscess following hemorrhoidal banding in a 49-year-old man with diabetes is reported in the present study. Risk factors, management and the role of prophylaxis in immunocompromised patients are discussed. Caution against hemorrhoidal banding in immunosuppressed patients, including patients with diabetes, is warranted

A Patient with Microcytic Anemia and Fever

A 62-year-old man with a history of mechanical aortic valve insertion and ascending aorta replacement in 1997 presented to his family doctor in August 2004 with a two-week history of melena after recently returning from a six-month vacation in Mexico. The patient had no other abdominal complaints. He took warfarin but did not take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, acetylsalicylic acid or alcohol. The patient had no history of liver or peptic ulcer disease. He had lost 7 kg over the past month, but did not complain of fever or night sweats. On physical examination, vital signs were normal, the second heart sound was mechanical, and there were no abnormal findings. Laboratory investigations showed a borderline microcytic anemia (hemoglobin 76 g/L; mean corpuscular volume 79 fL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration 323 g/L), a therapeutic international normalized ratio (2.6) and an elevated creatinine level (112 µmol/L). His stool was positive for occult blood, although the ferritin level was high (623 µg/L). Other routine blood work was normal. The patient was admitted to hospital for investigation of the anemia.Peer Reviewe

A Patient with Microcytic Anemia and Fever

A 62-year-old man with a history of mechanical aortic valve insertion and ascending aorta replacement in 1997 presented to his family doctor in August 2004 with a two-week history of melena after recently returning from a six-month vacation in Mexico. The patient had no other abdominal complaints. He took warfarin but did not take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, acetylsalicylic acid or alcohol. The patient had no history of liver or peptic ulcer disease. He had lost 7 kg over the past month, but did not complain of fever or night sweats. On physical examination, vital signs were normal, the second heart sound was mechanical, and there were no abnormal findings. Laboratory investigations showed a borderline microcytic anemia (hemoglobin 76 g/L; mean corpuscular volume 79 fL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration 323 g/L), a therapeutic international normalized ratio (2.6) and an elevated creatinine level (112 µmol/L). His stool was positive for occult blood, although the ferritin level was high (623 µg/L). Other routine blood work was normal. The patient was admitted to hospital for investigation of the anemia

Channel management in virtual care

Many virtual care initiatives focus heavily on video visits, essentially mimicking face-to-face visits. Meanwhile, clinicians in established settings continue to use the oldest modality, phone calls, and some use the most ubiquitous, asynchronous messaging. The latter, along with live chat and chatbots, could be transformative if workflows were redesigned to incorporate it. With multiple modalities now available for use in virtual care, the central problem is to direct patient-provider interactions to the channels generating the most value. Marketers call this channel management and use sophisticated approaches to implement it. We propose an adaptation of channel management to virtual care and discuss anticipated challenges to its implementation. </p

Understanding Engagement and the Potential Impact of an Electronic Drug Repository: Multi-Methods Study

BackgroundCentralized drug repositories can reduce adverse events and inappropriate prescriptions by enabling access to dispensed medication data at the point of care; however, how they achieve this goal is largely unknown. ObjectiveThis study aims to understand the perceived clinical value; the barriers to and enablers of adoption; and the clinician groups for which a provincial, centralized drug repository may provide the most benefit. MethodsA mixed methods approach, including a web-based survey and semistructured interviews, was used. Participants were clinicians (eg, nurses, physicians, and pharmacists) in Ontario who were eligible to use the digital health drug repository (DHDR), irrespective of actual use. Survey data were ranked on a 7-point adjectival scale and analyzed using descriptive statistics, and interviews were analyzed using qualitative descriptions. ResultsOf the 161 survey respondents, only 40 (24.8%) actively used the DHDR. Perceptions of the utility of the DHDR were neutral (mean scores ranged from 4.11 to 4.76). Of the 75.2% (121/161) who did not use the DHDR, 97.5% (118/121) rated access to medication information (eg, dose, strength, and frequency) as important. Reasons for not using the DHDR included the cumbersome access process and the perception that available data were incomplete or inaccurate. Of the 33 interviews completed, 26 (79%) were active DHDR users. The DHDR was a satisfactory source of secondary information; however, the absence of medication instructions and prescribed medications (which were not dispensed) limited its ability to provide a comprehensive profile to meaningfully support clinical decision-making. ConclusionsDigital drug repositories must be adjusted to align with the clinician’s needs to provide value. Ensuring integration with point-of-care systems, comprehensive clinical data, and streamlined onboarding processes would optimize clinically meaningful use. The electronic provision of accessible drug information to providers across health care settings has the potential to improve efficiency and reduce medication errors