🚨We're hiring!🚨 Come analyze Medicare data and work with a great crew that includes @Cutler_econ @Ateevm @Michael_Chernew. Details 👇

Amidst growing enthusiasm for AI in healthcare, there are open questions on how we should pay for AI services. In a new piece at @Health_Affairs we weigh in.

New 📰@AnnalsofIM TLDR: We find the average older adult in traditional Medicare spends 3 weeks per year getting health care, mostly (17 days) ambulatory care like office visits, tests, and treatments. 11% of these adults spent 50+ days per year (!). https://t.co/49Wq5lWo7U

We all know that fentanyl is making the overdose crisis much worse. But did you know that it's also making buprenorphine — the most popular opioid addiction treatment — harder to use? I dug into it for @tradeoffspod's first new episode of 2024. https://t.co/f2PMbNzHqb

The Boston suburbs’ cynical ploy to keep poor families out: Use seniors as a shield https://t.co/xgIGNxdNgj via @BostonGlobe

Everyone knows NP and PA’s are playing a bigger role in the medical system. But until this study, I didn’t realize how large a fraction of care they provide!

Recently joined @jkvedar on @americantelemed’s podcast and discussed key challenges for the future expansion of #telehealth.

I'm quoted (and heard on!) @NPR @MorningEdition on patient portal messages and charging for them in a fee-for-service system

Telemedicine was a crucial stop-gap during the pandemic, but are its best days behind us? Or is there more potential to tap? Excited to share a new article w/ @Ateevm & @bbrownretail examining the tech, processes, and institutions that can unlock the next chapter of virtual care

Congrats to all of the amazing Harvard health policy PhD grads!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

New in @JAMANetworkOpen: In nat'l Medicare survey, many older adults were personally offered phone visits, or chose phone visits, even when phone & video visits were available. 🧵on results, implications for Medicare/other payers' reimbursement policies https://t.co/kYsV73CFgy

Rates of antibiotics received during #COVID-19 outpatient visits (mostly amoxicillin & azithromycin) varied by age, site, and region in this cross-sectional study. @martjm @ateevm @krayhsr

Excited to share a new paper today with @McGarryBE and @ashdgandhi published today in @NEJM TL;DR Nursing homes with higher use of COVID-19 tests for staff had 30% fewer resident cases and 26% fewer deaths than low testing facilities. That's a LOT. /1 https://t.co/FJkuPBxWv6

Thanks to colleagues including @ml_barnett and @NIDAnews for supporting much of the research that we cite.

In summary, our argument is no compelling evidence that new restrictions are needed & may cut off many from a life-saving drug. We call for DEA to revisit the proposed rule. If you agree, consider posting a comment on the DEA website. (5/) https://t.co/eWzmp90ThR

New rule requires in-person visit in 30 days after first telemed bup rx. We are worried this may be impossible logistically. Also would be a big shift in practice. Currently only 12% of those started on bup via telemed have in-person visit in next 30 days. (4/)

Available evidence also does not support idea that telemedicine for treating opioid use disorder results in lower quality care. In fact, if anything, it may lead to improved outcomes. (3/) https://t.co/YqaxEWDF7g

To date modest use of telemedicine to start patients on buprenorphine. Through December 2022 ~13% of new starts are via telemedicine. Telemedicine has not “opened the flood gates.” (2/)

DEA just proposed new rules limiting prescribing of buprenorphine via telemedicine. In a letter to DEA, we summarize evidence on using telemedicine to treat opioid use disorder & why new rules are problematic. Couple of highlights in this thread (1/5) https://t.co/QXVFMOpJtX

My first Research Corner for @tradeoffspod discusses new work by @AJHolmgren and others in @JAMA. They ask: what happens when a major U.S. health system starts billing patients for portal messages with their clinicians? Learn more here: