Jeff Linder

@jefflinder.bsky.social

General internist, health services and clinical researcher | Health, education, infrastructure, opportunity for all Americans | Bicycles | Opinions, own

AHRQ grant cancellations are no longer theoretical, they're happening. We've heard from many researchers and institutions affected by notices ending continuation funding for ongoing projects. Read what we know so far, why these cancellations matter, and how we're responding.

AHRQ Has Begun Canceling Research Grants. Here's What We Know.

Researchers across the country have begun receiving official notices from AHRQ informing them that continuation funding for their grants will not be awarded.

buff.ly

Use of a rapid microbiological point-of-care test for respiratory infections did not lead to an expected overall reduction in same-day antibiotic prescribing in #PrimaryCare. Results of the RAPID-TEST clinical trial published in @jamainternalmed.com. 👉 Read the news: tinyurl.com/y3x3hv29

2026: Study questions usefulness of rapid microbiological respiratory test | Centre for Academic Primary Care | University of Bristol

tinyurl.com

This may be my "favorite" result from the study. Despite multiplex respiratory point-of-care testing changing WHICH patients got antibiotics -- in the testing arm, patients with an identified virus were less likely to get abx -- there was no difference in improvement in symptom severity.

JAMA Internal Medicine@jamainternalmed.com · 3mo ago

A randomized trial found that rapid multiplex respiratory point-of-care testing did not reduce same-day antibiotic prescribing or worsen symptom severity for patients with respiratory infections in primary care. ja.ma/4frUOSL

Kaplan-Meier curve of overall symptom duration, comparing 'POCT test' and 'No POCT test' groups. The x-axis shows days, the y-axis shows the proportion recovered. The 'No POCT test' group shows a slightly higher recovery rate.

This benefit is under appreciated by doctors who have infinite sick leave and high salaries: “Paxlovid recipients had a shorter median time to early sustained recovery than the usual-care group (14 vs 21 days in PANORAMIC and 6 vs 9 days in CanTreatCOVID)”

CIDRAP@cidrap.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Trials show: Paxlovid doesn’t reduce hospitalization or death rates in vaccinated high-risk COVID outpatients, although it does reduce viral load and speed time to recovery. Read more: ow.ly/zm4m50YONlg 📷: Kches16414 / Wikimedia Commons

Image of Paxlovid box and caplets

📷: Kches16414 / Wikimedia Commons