Gabapentin is approved by the FDA for certain types of seizures and for the nerve pain caused by shingles. Curiously, its use in US nursing homes (NHs) has doubled in the last 10 years.

This survey purposefully focused on current, June 2022, pandemic nursing home care of patients with dementia.

Thought-provoking trends from the second Virginia nursing home clinician survey included that rural clinicians reported increases in use of antipsychotics and sedating antidepressants more often than their urban and suburban colleagues

New study finds that behavioral symptoms related to dementia sharply increased during the pandemic, along with an increase in the use of common medications and reduced use of non-medication management, possibly due to lost staffing and volunteer time. These are preliminary findings from a survey of Virginia nursing home clinicians funded by the Virginia Center on Aging, ARDRAF 22-2.

Recently released data from a survey of primary care clinicians in mid-August by the Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC), shows that primary care remains resilient against increased demands, although the workforce is confronting myriad challenges.

The event will focus on the significant progress that has been made in activating providers in the vaccinations effort, as well as a number of best practices health systems and providers have committed to in order to further increase vaccine confidence and uptake. These include, for example, offering vaccinations at Emergency Departments, upon discharge from hospitals, and at all primary care offices in a health system; partnering with community and faith-based organizations to host pop-up clinics and educate communities about the vaccine; and proactively reaching out to unvaccinated patients about getting vaccinated.

WASHINGTON, August 2, 2021 — As the country experiences COVID surges again and struggles to reach the Biden administration’s vaccination goals, new data released today by the Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and 3rd Conversation, shows that primary care is playing a deeper role in vaccination efforts.

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2021 — As more COVID-19 vaccines become available to Americans, new data released today by the Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and 3rd Conversation, shows that primary care is administering more vaccines, but this “front door” of the healthcare system can do more. In a survey conducted April 9-13, 2021, 38% of primary care clinicians reported that their practice is administering vaccines and they are increasingly partnering with public health (42%) and local organizations or government to prioritize people for vaccination.

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2021 — The Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC), today released new data showing that patients want to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations from primary care and that practices want to be involved in vaccination administration. In a survey of primary care clinicians conducted in mid-March, nearly half (46%) reported that patients are calling their practice and demanding to be vaccinated, and 74% said they are willing to administer the vaccine. The reality, however, is different. Over half (54%) of clinicians said their local health department has not actively engaged primary care to help with vaccine distribution, and only 9% have a reliable vendor and know when they will receive the vaccine, according to the survey.

WASHINGTON, February 24, 2021—The Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and 3rd Conversation, today released new data showing that primary care is willing to help meet the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine goals through outreach, education, advocacy and administration of the vaccine. However, primary care is not yet being leveraged for these purposes, despite the rapid ramping up of the vaccines’ distribution.

WASHINGTON, February 10, 2021—The Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and 3rd Conversation, today released new data showing that 8 in 10 primary care practices are ready and willing to assist with COVID-19 vaccine distribution, despite ongoing staffing shortages caused or exacerbated by pandemic-related financial issues. With 20% of respondents practicing in rural communities and a vast majority with access to patients with chronic conditions, primary care could be an untapped yet key avenue for reaching vulnerable communities.

Primary care—including family medicine, general internal medicine, and pediatrics—is the first place that people go for preventive health care, urgent health concerns, and management of chronic illnesses. Excellent primary care constitutes the foundation of a health care system that is high quality, low cost, and equitable. But as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many primary care practices across the United States are on the brink of collapse.