MSSNY PULSE

A new study published in JAMA Network Open offers critical insights into how the diagnosis at hand influences whether a primary care visit is conducted in person, by phone, or via video. Researchers examined over 7.5 million primary care encounters across the Veterans Health Administration from March 2020 to September 2021, one of the largest analyses of its kind. The study found that telehealth adoption wasn’t just influenced by demographics or digital access—it was most strongly associated with clinical conditions.

In-person visits were predominant (60.7%) and remained essential for managing chronic diseases requiring physical exams, lab work, or detailed assessments, such as diabetes, COPD, and asthma. Conversely, video visits were used more frequently for conditions where physical mobility is limited or where patients face barriers to clinic attendance, such as dementia, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, and behavioral health diagnoses like PTSD. Telephone visits, while widely used early in the pandemic, were more common for acute, low-complexity concerns or when patients lacked the capability for video.

Importantly, the study also observed geographic and racial disparities in modality of use. Patients in rural areas and Black patients were less likely to have video visits, raising concerns about digital health equity. However, after adjusting for diagnosis, much of the variation in telehealth modality was explained by clinical need rather than patient preferences or demographics.

Variability in Primary Care Telehealth Delivery Methods Across Chronic Conditions (Jacqueline M. Ferguson, PhD; Liberty Greene, MS; James Van Campen, MS, JAMA, 3/26).

As healthcare costs rise and patient expectations evolve, providers face increasing pressure to modernize the payment experience. A recent opinion piece published in MedCity News argues that healthcare must take cues from the financial services industry to meet modern consumer demands for seamless, flexible, and trustworthy payment systems. Drawing from two decades in finance before transitioning to healthcare, the author highlights how consumer behavior has driven payment innovation, particularly through frictionless, multichannel solutions like digital wallets and peer-to-peer apps.

However, electronic health records (EHRs) and rigid payment infrastructure have lagged in healthcare. Patients, especially younger generations, increasingly expect the same effortless experiences they enjoy with major retailers. The article urges providers to integrate diverse payment options—cards, bank transfers, digital wallets—directly into patient portals and to maintain visual and functional consistency to build trust.

Unlike retail, healthcare spending is often non-discretionary, amplifying the emotional and financial toll of poor billing experiences. Providers can support affordability while enhancing patient satisfaction by offering structured payment plans and improving interface design.

Bridging Financial Services and Healthcare (Welch, MedCityNews, 5/13).

In this week’s Resilience in Practice feature, Dr. Linda Clark, a respected MSSNY member and physician leader, reflects on how her identity as a Black physician strengthens her ability to build trust and foster healing. Through shared experience and cultural understanding, Dr. Clark creates space for more meaningful patient relationships and helps bridge persistent gaps in healthcare equity.

Her story is a reminder that empathy isn’t just a trait; it’s a clinical asset. Dr. Clark’s leadership uplifts her community while modeling how New York physicians can deepen their impact through connection, representation, and advocacy.

MSSNY proudly features Dr. Clark as part of our continued commitment to highlight underrepresented voices in medicine. Join our Minority Affairs Section to support and elevate colleagues dedicated to reshaping the future of care.

A new analysis from AMN Healthcare underscores a critical strain on the U.S. healthcare system: longer wait times for physician appointments are emerging as a clear signal of a growing physician shortage. Across 15 major metropolitan areas, patients now wait an average of 26 days to see a new physician, up 8% from 2022 and 24% from 2017. In particular, wait times for family medicine rose 30% over the past year. The report attributes these delays to several compounding factors, including physician burnout, retirements, and a slower pipeline of new medical professionals.

The implications for physicians are clear: overburdened schedules, rising patient demand, and increased pressure on practice efficiency. MSSNY continues to advocate for policy solutions that support physician well-being and career longevity.

2025 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times and Medicare and Healthcare Technology Medicaid Acceptance Rates (AMN Healthcare, 5/2025).

Dates: August 25^th-27^th

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The 2025 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference on Occupational and Environmental Medicine (MARCOEM) returns October 25–26, hosted at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. Co-chaired by Dr. Hasan Nezam and Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs, the conference will address critical topics including AI in medicine, toxicology updates, pregnancy in the workplace, and corporate health strategies from industry leaders like Disney and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Register Now  |   View Flyer here.