In the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care decision-makers in North Carolina needed information about the available health workforce in order to conduct workforce surge planning and to anticipate concerns about professional or geographic workforce shortages. This article describes how data was used in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in North…
Medical assistants (MAs) are a flexible and low-cost resource for primary care practices and their roles are swiftly transforming. This article surveyed MAs and family physicians for evidence of role confusion between MAs and physicians, physician resistance to delegate tasks to properly trained MAs, or MA reluctance to pursue training to take on new roles….
Despite a growing body of research on the evolving roles of medical assistants, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, there is currently a lack of knowledge regarding different team configurations in primary care practices. This article utilizes data from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) examination application to explore what types…
The use of office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs has increased in recent years and requires integrated teams of professionals with different kinds of expertise working together. These care teams present opportunities for interprofessional training. This article describes a study that conducted interviews with health professionals on OBOT teams to examine the provider composition of these…
In order for the current health workforce to meet the increasing demand brought about by the pandemic, health care delivery organizations, educators, and government leaders will need to work together to adapt regulations to expand workforce capacity. Strategies such as expanding scopes of practice, developing cross-state licensure programs, and increasing telehealth services are essential. This…
Increasing awareness of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) has prompted health systems to implement strategies to screen for and address patient SDOH. With the increased awareness comes the question of what workforce is needed to implement SDOH screening and related interventions? To answer, this research must be conducted for which healthcare workers screen for…
Community Health Centers (CHCs) are critical to our nation’s ability to respond to COVID‐19 in rural and underserved communities. Rural residents are at increased risk of poor outcomes due to age and health status, and there are substantially fewer healthcare resources available in rural areas, meaning that once the virus becomes more widespread in these…
Among the many trends influencing health and health care delivery over the next decade, 3 are particularly important for North Carolina: 1) the transition to value-based care and increased focus on population health; 2) the shift of care from acute to community-based settings; and 3) addressing the vulnerability of rural health care systems. This report…
The current opioid crisis in the United States is a recognized national health emergency. The number of opioid-related deaths has more than quadrupled since 1999. Over 42,000 individuals died from opioid use in 2016 alone. To combat this epidemic, primary care providers are expanding clients’ access to care, particularly to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs, also…
Many patients in ambulatory care settings suffer from knee osteoarthritis, but care and treatment for this condition varies. Little is known about what patient, physician, and practice factors may account for this variation. This article analyzed data from 2007-2015 to examine how often physicians recommended physical therapy, lifestyle counseling, and pain medication to patients suffering…
