The reduction in patient numbers with the influx of concierge medicine means that many patients are left without primary care physicians at a time of increasing shortages in the specialty.
Here are seven recent studies and reports to know:
1. The number of New York-based, first-year medical students from underrepresented backgrounds increased to 21.1 percent, the first time the percentage has surpassed 20 percent, according to an annual report from the Associated Medical Schools of New York.
2. Accelerated pathway program graduates may be just as prepared for residency training and have less debt than those in traditional programs, the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine said Oct. 25.
3. Strict visitation restrictions in intensive care units had a negative effect on the job satisfaction of hospital workers, according to a small Medscape survey published Oct. 19.
4. While concierge medicine has been scrutinized since its inception two decades ago, experts are saying it may be exacerbating physician shortages, according to an Oct. 19 report from Scientific American.
5. Over 13 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations lead to readmission and emergency department visits after 30 days, with more than a quarter being potentially preventable, according to a study published in the November 2021 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
6. When female politicians are elected to the national legislature, they drive more spending on priorities like education and healthcare, a new report has found. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder used machine learning to discover underlying relationships between women's numeric representation in political office and government spending.
7. Remote work has delivered a boost to employees' feelings of appreciation and contentment in their careers, according to a Velocity Global study. Seventy-three percent of employees surveyed said remote work ignited a newfound appreciation for their current job and company.