Northwest Permanente, P.C.

Routine suicide care in primary care visits at Kaiser Permanente clinics in Washington state led to a 25% drop in suicide attempts within 90 days, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

A suicide screening and safety planning program in Washington State primary care practices led to a 25% reduction in suicide attempts within 90 days post-visit. The intervention, involving depression and substance use screening, increased safety plans by 14% and reduced suicide attempts from 6.0 to 4.5 per 10,000 visits. The study highlights the importance of routine suicide risk assessment in primary care.

MedCity Moves Podcast discusses recent executive changes in healthcare, including hires at Mount Sinai Health System and Verily, and exits at Masimo and Baystate Health. It also covers healthcare layoffs at Kaiser Permanente, Optum, and Charles River Laboratories. The September guest, Dr. Jayne Morgan, shares her move from Piedmont to Hello Heart.

Kaiser Permanente study reveals 20-30% higher odds of hospital admissions, emergency department use, and mental health visits for patients with social needs, particularly those with multiple medical diagnoses.

New research estimates Medicare coverage of Wegovy (semaglutide) could cost up to $145 billion annually if all eligible patients are covered, though analysts deem this estimate 'sensational'. The study suggests 3.6 million people could be eligible under a conservative definition, potentially costing Medicare over $10 billion yearly. Supply constraints and future price declines due to the Inflation Reduction Act may impact actual costs.

A study comparing traditional psychiatric care and a collaborative care model for depression and anxiety found both models significantly improved symptoms, with stronger results in collaborative care. Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the study tracked 1,607 depression and 570 anxiety patients in collaborative care, and 8,773 depression and 2,365 anxiety patients in specialty psychiatry over 6 months. Collaborative care patients saw greater symptom reduction, with 9-point and 5.4-point decreases for depression and anxiety, respectively, compared to 5-point and 2.8-point decreases in specialty care. The collaborative care model, which includes regular symptom monitoring and personalized treatment, showed higher remission rates and addressed the clinician shortage.

The article outlines a conference schedule focusing on AI in health, covering topics from COVID-19 lessons for AI and health policy, responsible AI practices to mitigate bias and drive equity, executive insights on AI's impact in health care, and balancing AI regulation to encourage innovation while protecting Americans.

African American patients show higher hemoglobin A1c (A1C) levels than White patients for the same mean glucose, with no significant differences among Asians, Latinos, and multiethnic patients. Structural racism impacts adolescent mental health, with lower neighborhood privilege linked to higher risks of depressive symptoms and suicidality. COVID-19 policy changes increased telehealth addiction treatment utilization without exacerbating disparities. Racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes highlight the need for equitable resource allocation and targeted prevention strategies.