PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Variations in medical assistant to primary care clinician staffing ratios may reflect differences in practice ownership and organizational culture

2024-05-28
(Press-News.org) Background and goal: Medical assistants (MAs) are among the fastest growing occupations within the U.S. primary care workforce, and many practices have expanded the roles and caregiving responsibilities of primary care MAs. However, little is known about organizational factors associated with MA support levels for primary care clinicians (PCCs). 

Study Approach: This study analyzed the current ratio of medical assistants (MAs) to primary care clinicians based on responses to the second National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems (NSHOS II), a 52-question survey of a nationally representative sample of adult primary care physician practices. Practice characteristics such as practice ownership (independent, group-owned, system-owned) and aspects of organizational culture (e.g., practice goals and values) associated with MA to PCC staffing ratios were taken into consideration in the analysis.

Results: Of 1,252 responding practices, most (56.6%) had ratios of 1 MA per PCC, while only 11.4% had ratios of 2 or more MAs per PCC; 27.6% had ratios of less than one-to-one, and 4.3% of practices did not employ MAs. Independent practices, medical group–owned practices, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were more likely to have ratios of 2 or more MAs per PCC than practices owned by health care systems. In terms of organizational culture, innovation-oriented practices were more likely to have staffing ratios of 2 or more MAs per PCC. Low MA staffing levels were not associated with higher levels of staffing of nurses, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.

Why It Matters: Health-system–owned practices are less likely to be adequately staffed with MAs than practices with other organizational structures. Inadequate MA staffing negatively affects patient care and may also contribute to physician burnout. Policy makers and insurance companies might consider financial incentives to promote adequate staffing.

Primary Care Practice Characteristics Associated With Medical Assistant Staffing Ratios

Hector P. Rodriguez, PhD, MPH, et al

School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California

PRE-EMBARGO LINK (Link expires at 5 p.m. EDT May 28th, 2024)

PERMANENT LINK

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Better disciplinary structures in schools can help reduce hate speech directed against Asian American students

2024-05-28
Asian Americans have been the targets of hate speech for generations, particularly during the COVID pandemic. But new research by the University of California, Davis, suggests that Asian American adolescents experience fewer incidents of hate speech in schools with stronger disciplinary structures and adult support.  A new study looks at hate speech experiences even before COVID, during the period between 2015 and 2019. The article, “Hate Speech Against Asian American Youth: Pre-Pandemic Trends and The Role of School Factors,” was published May 4 in the Journal of Youth and Adolescents. “Although hate against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities ...

Bringing back an ancient bird

Bringing back an ancient bird
2024-05-28
Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, Harvard biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. Published in Science Advances, the work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins include the ostrich, emu, and kiwi. It is one of nine known species of moa, all extinct for the last 700 years, that inhabited New Zealand before the late 1200s and the arrival of Polynesian human settlers. “We’re pulling ...

Wistar research identifies mechanisms for selective multiple sclerosis treatment strategy

Wistar research identifies mechanisms for selective multiple sclerosis treatment strategy
2024-05-28
PHILADELPHIA — (May 28, 2024) — The Wistar Institute’s Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D., and lab team led by senior staff scientist and first author, Samantha Soldan, Ph.D., have demonstrated how B cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can contribute to a pathogenic, inflammatory phenotype that contributes to multiple sclerosis (MS); the group has also shown how these problematic B cells can be selectively targeted in a way that reduces the damaging autoimmune response of multiple sclerosis. The lab’s findings were published in Nature Microbiology in the paper, “Multiple sclerosis patient derived spontaneous B cells have distinct EBV and ...

Fatherhood’s hidden heart health toll

2024-05-28
Among fathers, heart health was worse for men who became fathers under the age 25 First U.S. multiethnic longitudinal study to analyze cardiovascular health outcomes of fathers Results differed by race and ethnicity subgroups  Age-adjusted rate of death for Black fathers was lower than for nonfathers ‘Fatherhood may be protective for Black men’ CHICAGO --- Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men, and being a father may put men at an even greater risk of poor heart health later in life, reports a new study from scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & ...

The importance of integrated therapies on cancer: Silibinin, an old and new molecule

The importance of integrated therapies on cancer: Silibinin, an old and new molecule
2024-05-28
“This consideration could be the starting point to study whether Silibinin could contrast tumor progression, aging and inflammaging through molecular and cellular mechanisms [...].” BUFFALO, NY- May 28, 2024 – A new review paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 15 on May 23, 2024, entitled, “The importance of integrated therapies on cancer: Silibinin, an old and new molecule.” In this new review, researchers Elisa Roca, Giuseppe Colloca, Fiorella Lombardo, Andrea Bellieni, Alessandra Cucinella, Giorgio Madonia, Licia Martinelli, Maria Elisa Damiani, Ilaria Zampieri, and ...

Texas A&M-led team creates first global map of seafloor biodiversity activity

Texas A&M-led team creates first global map of seafloor biodiversity activity
2024-05-28
A pioneering study has used extensive global datasets and machine learning to map the activities of seafloor invertebrate animals, including worms, clams and shrimps, across the entire ocean, revealing for the first time critical factors that support and maintain the health of marine ecosystems. The international team, led by Texas A&M University and including investigators from Yale University and the University of Southampton, specifically focused on the unsung yet vital role burrowing animals play as "ecosystem engineers" in shaping nutrient ...

Light therapy increases brain connectivity following injury

Light therapy increases brain connectivity following injury
2024-05-28
OAK BROOK, Ill. – Low-level light therapy appears to affect healing in the brains of people who suffered significant brain injuries, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Lights of different wavelengths have been studied for years for their wound-healing properties. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) conducted low-level light therapy on 38 patients who had suffered moderate traumatic brain injury, an injury to the head serious enough to alter cognition and/or be visible on a brain scan. Patients received ...

Power imbalance in health care reveals impact of race and role on team dynamics and DEI efforts

2024-05-28
Background and Goal: Team-based care is considered the gold standard in delivery models. It uses integrated clinical teams with diverse skills and perspectives to provide efficient, high-quality health care services. Within these teams, individuals from minoritized racial-ethnic groups, often referred to as persons of color (POC), typically occupy roles with less authority (e.g., medical assistants), while white individuals more frequently hold positions of greater power (e.g., physicians). Few studies have explored the viewpoints of staff members in lower-power roles, who are disproportionately POC and constitute the majority of a health care team. This study aims to ...

NRG Oncology appoints new vice-chairs for their patient advocate committee

2024-05-28
NRG Oncology (NRG), a National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) group focused on improving outcomes for adults with cancer through multi-center clinical research, recently announced two new Vice-Chairs to co-lead the NRG Patient Advocate Committee (PAC) alongside the current PAC Committee Chair, Dorothy Erlanger. Marlyn Molero, was appointed as Vice-Chair of the NRG PAC. Marlyn is a clinical researcher in the oncology area with Commonspirit Research Institute as well as a Spanish interpreter at Vituity. Marlyn brings a unique perspective to the NRG PAC leadership ...

Why do Dyeing poison frogs tap dance?

Why do Dyeing poison frogs tap dance?
2024-05-28
The toe tapping behavior of various amphibians has long attracted attention from researchers and pet owners. Despite being widely documented, the underlying functional role is poorly understood. In a new paper, researchers demonstrate that Dyeing poison frogs modulate their taps based on specific stimuli.  Dyeing poison frogs, Dendrobates tinctorius, have been shown to tap their posterior toes in response to a range of prey sizes, from small fruit flies to large crickets. In the present study, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AACR: New CAR T cell therapy benefits patients with advanced thyroid cancers

AcrOSS platform: Advancing safe UAS operations in critical areas

Quantum computing paves the way for low-carbon building operations

HonorHealth Research Institute presents new findings in decades-long quest to conquer aggressive pancreatic cancer

HonorHealth Research Institute is the first of 50 sites worldwide to treat a patient in a new clinical study aimed at melanoma

Surviving cancer, still suffering: Survey reveals gaps in follow‑up care

A scientific method for flawless cacio e pepe

Uptake of and disparities in semaglutide and tirzepatide prescribing for obesity in the US

Bridging the AI gap in medicine: new framework targets family doctor education

Prenatal and perinatal factors of life’s essential 8 cardiovascular health trajectories

Maternal hypertension and adverse neurodevelopment in a cohort of preterm infants

Menstrual cycle length changes following vaccination against influenza alone or with COVID-19

Study suggests dance and lullabies aren’t universal human behaviors

Feeling stressed may lead to worsened respiratory symptoms, decreased quality of life

Couple satisfaction linked to fewer cognitive issues with chemo

Spiritual health practitioners reveal key motivations in psychedelic-assisted therapy practice

Nursing 2025: No relief in sight as burnout, stress and short staffing persist

Flares from magnetized stars can forge planets’ worth of gold, other heavy elements

Breast cancer mortality in women ages 20-49 significantly dropped between 2010 and 2020

Cancer-related fatigue and depression may lead to decrease in recreational physical activities and quality of life in survivors

ODEP-based robotic system for micromanipulation and in-flow analysis of primary cells

Patient outcomes may improve with tailored treatment guided by tissue plus liquid biopsies vs. individually

Platinum wire-embedded culturing device for interior signal recording from lollipop-shaped neural spheroids

Gold for sports, green silver for industry!

Biodiversity and ecosystem stability

Poll: Many Americans say they will lose trust in public health recommendations under federal leadership changes

Overcoming the quantum sensing barrier

Sugar signalling applications could boost wheat yields by up to 12%

Rainfall triggers extreme humid heat in tropics and subtropics

Teenage years crucial for depression intervention, study finds

[Press-News.org] Variations in medical assistant to primary care clinician staffing ratios may reflect differences in practice ownership and organizational culture