A New Mexico experiment aims to fix the doctor shortage ”“ no new doctors required

[Dr. Sanjeev] Arora started wondering whether some of the care he delivered, largely diagnosing Hepatitis C and monitoring subsequent treatment, could be delivered by primary care doctors elsewhere in the state. It would save patients the long trips across the state, not to mention free up Aurora’s own schedule.

Arora reached out to primary care doctors across the state and found 21 that were interested in additional training on how to treat Hepatitis C themselves. They began holding weekly video-conferences, where the primary care doctors peppered Arora with questions about diagnoses and a subsequent treatment plan. Then, they went back to their clinics and delivered the care themselves.

A subsequent study would show that care to be just as good as what was delivered in an academic medical center ”” minus the 400-mile round trip.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, Health & Medicine