For the past few months, industry leaders have been expressing frustration that physician practices were being left behind on COVID-19 vaccine administration. Things are starting to change, however. In a survey conducted earlier this month, 38 percent of primary care clinicians reported that their practice is administering vaccines and they are increasingly partnering with public health (42 percent) and local organizations or government to prioritize people for vaccination.
The new data, gathered from 657 physicians between April 9-13, from 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, according to the survey’s researchers.
Since March 2020, the Larry A. Green Center and the PCC have collected and disseminated data from more than 25 regular surveys of primary care clinicians on their abilities and attitudes in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new statistics are a positive turn for the healthcare sector, as early on in the vaccine administration process, it was felt by many that primary care practices were not as involved in the process as they ought to be. A February survey from the PCC and the Larry A. Green Center found that less than a fifth (19 percent) of responding physicians say they are currently administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
At the same time, while many leaders are expressing optimism about ending the pandemic through vaccinations and the Biden administration is turning to primary care to help target the most hard-to-reach populations, 7 in 10 primary care clinicians reported in the survey that mental exhaustion, both personally and in their practice, has reached all-time highs. Nearly 2 in 5 clinicians reported needing mental health support as a result of the pandemic.
What’s more, challenges still remain from supplies to scheduling. Less than a fifth (19 percent) of surveyed clinicians report their practice has received adequate amounts of vaccines for their patients. Others note the challenge of information exchange and patient outreach, with 23 percent saying. “I have no idea if my patients are vaccinated or not.” Over 42 percent say that it seems like “it takes an advanced degree in technology for patients to schedule vaccinations.”
“Primary care never hit the pause button. Without funding and without inclusion in pandemic-relief planning, primary care has extended hours and services, deferred salaries and waived co-pays in order to meet the health needs of the population, and yet we have failed to have its back,” said Rebecca Etz, Ph.D., co-director of The Larry A. Green Center. “How much data must we collect on its vulnerabilities, and how long before policymakers provide them with the support they’ve earned and deserve?”
The survey data shows that primary care continues to perform beyond its available resources. Clinicians reported an increase of over 200 percent in health screening activities since May 2020, for example, even though significant percentages of practices have clinician positions they cannot fill (27 percent) and have seen COVID-19 cases increase in their community (39 percent).
“Primary care is now a key means for getting shots in Americans’ arms, just as practices are facing pent-up patient demand for care and worsening mental health and social vulnerabilities,” said Ann Greiner, president and CEO of PCC. “Public and private payers should continue providing relief from administrative burdens enacted under the public health emergency and dramatically increase fiscal relief for primary care. Strengthening primary care will pay dividends: getting the country more quickly to herd immunity and a return to some sense of normalcy.”
Furthermore, far fewer primary practices are struggling financially, according to the latest data. Seven percent of surveyed clinicians say their practice is unable to pay the bills on time; whereas 30 percent say they received “adequate financial support from the government.” Fewer than 5 percent report that loans taken out during COVID are coming due and they don’t know how to pay them.
