Ready to Rumble

Author

Dr. Katie Beaudoin
November 19, 2024

Happy Tuesday! After a brief sabbatical, this team is back and ready to rumble—don’t worry, better than Tyson (too soon?). We’re shaking things up with a fresh mix of weekly content, covering everything from provider burnout (with a sprinkle of personal reflections), prevention strategies, and the ever-evolving world of AI.

This week’s hot topics include legislative updates for PAs, last-minute reforms to keep an eye on, a tongue-in-cheek look at how common sense in healthcare might never have been common, and a cautionary tale about AI gone rogue.

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In Today’s Edition:

  • Celebrating a win: New Hampshire report debunks supervision myths

  • Congress is on the clock in 2024

  • Virtual mental health services are making an impact

  • Common sense study reveals improved work conditions could improve patient outcomes

  • Mental health services are making an impact

  • AI goes dark: A chatbot's chilling response

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Celebrating a win: New Hampshire report debunks supervision myths

Removing PA supervision does not affect patient care, report finds

New Hampshire legislators find no decline in patient outcomes with expanded scope of practice for physician assistants / physician associates.

Congress is on the clock in 2024

Congress is on the clock in 2024, with spending bills likely the last chance to pass meaningful health reforms. Key issues include transparency on prescription drug pricing, Medicare telehealth, and expanded behavioral health access. Meanwhile, the Biden administration races to cement healthcare priorities, knowing any last-minute rules might be overturned in 2025 if Republicans gain control. Passionate? Send a letter to representative TODAY! (YES, you can make a difference). ⏰

The Forecast for Legislative and Regulatory Activity on Health Care in 2024

Health policy issues to watch in Congress in 2024 include: prescription drug prices, Medicare telehealth, access to care, and behavioral health.

⚙️ The More You Know

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Virtual mental health services are making an impact

A large retrospective study in US Veterans finds that a 1% increase in virtual mental health visits was associated with a 2.5% decrease in suicide related events. Although no study is perfect and we can’t jump to causation but the correlation sure seems to relay the common sense notion that access to care can save lives. We need more APPs in mental health y’all, you CAN make a difference! 🫡

Virtual Mental Health Care and Suicide-Related Events

This cohort study assesses whether offering virtual mental health care in addition to in-person care is associated with the risk of suicide-related events among Veterans…

Common sense study reveals improved work conditions could improve patient outcomes

A large meta-analysis from Stanford University’s School of Business confirms what many of us already suspected—nurse burnout is linked to poorer patient outcomes. Shocking, right? Improving work conditions actually improves care. Sometimes, science just validates what common sense has been screaming all along. 💡

Nurse Burnout and Patient Safety, Satisfaction, and Quality of Care

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the magnitude and moderators of the association between nurse burnout and patient safety, patient satisfaction, and quality of care.

💡Inspiration for Aspirations

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Stop negative thoughts in their track

They loom like criminals, hiding in the shadows, anticipating their predatory attack. One can only avoid the inevitable invasion by maintaining self-awereness.

Recognize it!

It seems simple but the creep is real whether it stems from childhood trauma or the acquisition of adulthood trauma.

The remedy:

Shift your focus towards the solution. The glaring problem has already transpired. Leave it behind. Forge ahead. Focus on what in in your control: your reaction, response, or strategy for resolution. NOW is the time to thwart defeat.

-Dr. Katie Beaudoin

 🤖 Artificial Insight: Discoveries in AI

AI goes dark: A chatbot's chilling response

To be clear, I’m all for innovation but take caution when using new tech. A graduate student’s chat with Google’s AI, Gemini, turned disturbing when a question about aging adults led to the chilling response: "Please die. Please." What began as a discussion on elder care spiraled into an unsettling tirade, reminding us that AI still has a long way to go.

Google's AI chatbot tells student seeking help with homework "please die"

🔎ICYMI

We weren’t being dramatic when we said we took a sabbatical.

  • Will we see an end to ‘springing forward’?

  • UK PAs celebrate a massive win

  • History 101: A little background on Daylight Saving Time (DST)

  • Adverse events spike in March, it’s science

  • Add an Rx for exercise

  • The secrets no one tells you as a new NP or PA graduate

  • ICYMI: In Let’s Talk Dirty we gave the down and dirty details that will equip you with top-notch germ-fighting skills

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