MedWorm: American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

PPI Ineffective for Asthma Control in Children With No GERD Symptoms

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:10:00 +0100

An acid reflux drug frequently prescribed for children with poorly controlled asthma does not improve asthma control if the child has no symptoms of acid reflux, according to a recent study published in JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

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Behavioral EconomicsBehavioral Economics

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:35:24 +0100

Medscape talked to Richard Roberts, MD, AAFP Foundation president, about a demonstration program in diabetes using behavioral economics, which combines 2 standard disciplines to improve healthcare. Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Family Physicians Lead in Specialties in Providing Rural Health Care

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

AAFP News Now article reports that family physicians provide more health care to rural areas than other primary care or subspecialty physicians, according to data released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

CDC 2D Vaccine Barcoding Pilot Nearing Sign-up Deadline

AAFP Health of the Public — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:35:00 +0100

For family physicians who count immunizations as one of the many services they provide, the CDC is funding a two-dimensional (2D) vaccine barcoding pilot project that is scheduled to begin in August. The pilot is gearing up to begin installing scanning equipment and training participants, but there is still time to enroll. According to Erin Kennedy, D.V.M., M.P.H., a medical officer in the CDC's Immunization Services Division, "2D barcoded vaccines have a number of potential public health benefits, which include decreasing errors in recorded immunization information and improving patient safety." The sign-up period for the project, which will assess the challenges and determine best practices for documenting vaccine encounters using 2D barcodes, comes to a close in late February. (Source: ...

Data Illustrate Geographic Dispersal of Family Physicians, Other Primary Care Professionals

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0100

AAFP News Now article reports that family physicians are the most likely of any physician specialty or subspecialty to practice in rural areas and the most likely to be geographically distributed in the same proportion as the U.S. population, according to a one-page fact sheet published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Changes to Tdap, HPV, Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations Among 2012 Schedule Highlights

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:00:00 +0100

More than a dozen changes are reflected in the CDC's 2012 child, adolescent and adult immunization schedules. Developed in conjunction with the AAFP and other groups, several of the 2012 changes are especially pertinent to family physicians, according to the AAFP's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Jamie Loehr, M.D., of Ithaca, N.Y. "Some of the most important changes for family physicians in the 2012 immunization schedules involve the tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine for pregnant women and health care personnel, as well as the hepatitis B vaccine for patients with diabetes," Loehr told AAFP News Now (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

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Rebecca Jaffe, M.D., M.P.H., Runs for AAFP Director

Inside AAFP — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100

The Delaware AFP announces the candidacy of Rebecca Jaffe, M.D., M.P.H., of Wilmington, for AAFP director. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D., Runs for AAFP Director

Inside AAFP — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100

The Texas AFP announces the candidacy of Lloyd Van Winkle, M.D., of Castroville, for AAFP director. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Even Middle-aged Adults Experience Cognitive Decline, Says Study

AAFP Health of the Public — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0100

The increasing lifespan of humans poses significant societal challenges in the years ahead, not the least of which will be providing care for an ever-growing elderly population. Given that poor cognitive status is arguably the single most disabling condition seen in older adults, clinical investigators have long sought to better understand the decline of cognitive function that accompanies the aging process. Although previous research has clearly demonstrated marked cognitive deficits in adults ages 65 and older, the question of precisely when cognitive decline begins remains subject to debate. Now, a new study contends that cognitive decline can be detected in people as young as age 45. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP Foundation provides funding for free clinics

Modern Medicine — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Equipment and supplies for new free health clinics in Palm Bay, Florida, and Bluffton, South Carolina, are the first results of the Family Medicine Cares initiative. (Source: Modern Medicine)

AMA, AAFP team up on health IT tutorials

Modern Medicine — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians have released free online video tutorials on technology. Discover how they can help you. (Source: Modern Medicine)

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AAFP Defines Role of Pharmacists, Family Physicians in Health Care Delivery System

Inside AAFP — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:35:00 +0100

The AAFP has issued a revised position paper that helps to define the professional relationship between pharmacists and family physicians in an integrated health care delivery system. The AAFP recognizes the "evolving complexity and proliferation of pharmaceutical agents and (the) important role pharmacists play in the delivery of high quality health care," says the position paper. And "The AAFP supports arrangements where the pharmacist is part of an integrated team-based approach to care." However, the paper adds, the AAFP believes "only licensed doctors of medicine, osteopathy, dentistry and podiatry should have the statutory authority to prescribe drugs for human consumption." (Source: Inside AAFP)

Patient Access to Core Attributes of Primary Care Linked to Lower Mortality

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:35:00 +0100

New research published in the January/February issue of Annals of Family Medicine (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

CDC Releases Toolkit to Help Clinicians Combat Norovirus Disease Outbreaks

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:15:00 +0100

The CDC has announced the availability of a new toolkit designed to help health care professionals control and prevent norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in health care settings. According to the CDC, noroviruses are the (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Inappropriate Cancer Screenings Continue, Study Finds

AAFP Health of the Public — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:50:00 +0100

Even as the appropriateness of routine prostate-specific antigen-based (PSA-based) screening is being called into question by some experts, a significant proportion of patients and physicians reportedly remain loyal to this and other controversial cancer screening protocols. Meanwhile, for men who -- through whatever means -- are diagnosed as having early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer, investigators are looking to identify the best management strategies. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

January/February 2012 Annals of Family Medicine

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(American Academy of Family Physicians) The January/February issue of Annals takes an up-close look at multimorbidity, the coexistence of multiple chronic health conditions in a single individual, a phenomenon that is growing at an alarming rate and bankrupting the US health care system. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22230302 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Congress Provides Near-level Funding for Primary Care Training Programs

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

AAFP News Now article reports that Congress has approved a final fiscal year, or FY, 2012 appropriations bill that provides nearly $40 million in funding for Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

People in the News/Awards -- December

Inside AAFP — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:10:00 +0100

AAFP News Now (Source: Inside AAFP)

Penalty for Not Prescribing Electronically Kicks in Jan. 1, 2012

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:04:28 +0100

AAFP News Now article report that family physicians who participate in Medicare but who did not successfully implement electronic prescribing in 2011 -- or apply for and receive a hardship exemption -- will notice slightly lower payments in 2012. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Family Physicians Find Regional Extension Centers a Mixed Bag

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:12:57 +0100

Source: Sheri Porter, AAFP News Content: “The establishment of regional extension centers, or RECs, in 2010 was widely seen as an opportunity for physicians, including family physicians, to more quickly and effectively adopt health information technology, or health IT, and use it in a meaningful way. The reality, however, is that although some FPs have [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22230266 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Organizations Team Up to Help Physicians, Patients 'Choose Wisely'

Inside AAFP — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:40:00 +0100

In the field of medicine, the customer is not always right, but that doesn't necessarily stop doctors from ordering tests and procedures that may not be strictly medically indicated. Recognizing this problem, the AAFP has joined with 10 other organizations in the Choosing Wisely campaign, which is designed to develop a series of evidence-based lists of medical tests, procedures and other services that patients and physicians should question. Originally piloted by the National Physicians Alliance, the goal of the lists is to help physicians and patients think and talk about overuse or misuse of health care resources. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Acute pyelonephritis in women (2011 review)

Clinical Cases and Images — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:26:00 +0100

This is a 2011 review from the official journal of the AAFP, American Family Physician:Acute pyelonephritis is a bacterial infection of the renal pelvis and kidney most often seen in young women.Symptoms of acute pyelonephritisMost patients have fever, although it may be absent early in the illness. Flank pain is nearly universal.Tests for acute pyelonephritisA positive urinalysis confirms the diagnosis.Urine culture should be obtained in all patients to guide antibiotic therapy if the patient does not respond to initial empiric antibiotic regimens.Escherichia coli is the most common pathogen in acute pyelonephritis. In the past decade, there has been an increasing rate of E. coli resistance to extended-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics.Imaging, usually with contrast-enhanced CT is not nece...

Leading Health Care Groups Urge Providers To Talk to Pregnant Women About Influenza Vaccine

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

LEAWOOD, Kan. — The nation’s leading health care organizations joined forces today in a common message stressing the importance of pregnant women being vaccinated against seasonal influenza to protect themselves and their unborn babies. In a group letter sent to health care professionals nationwide, leaders from the groups emphasized the increased number of deaths among pregnant women from influenza and provided helpful information for medical professionals. The letter was signed by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Pharmacists Association, the Association for Women...

IOM Report Recommends Steps to Minimize Risks to Patient Safety

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

AAFP News Now article tells of a newly released report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that recommends that HHS take the lead on working to minimize patient safety risks associated with use of health information technology. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

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ASHP: Docs Still Give Antibiotics for Ear Infection (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Pediatrics — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:20:03 +0100

NEW ORLEANS (MedPage Today) -- The guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians on the management of acute otitis media have not appreciably altered antibiotic prescribing, a researcher reported here. (Source: MedPage Today Pediatrics)

AAFP Backs Tavenner as New CMS Administrator

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:25:00 +0100

The AAFP has announced its support for Marilyn Tavenner, M.A., as the new administrator of CMS, noting that the former health system administrator and state director of health programs has worked throughout her career to "ensure that patients have access to high-quality care and that health professionals are paid appropriately." In a statement from the Academy, AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., said "(Tavenner) understands the flaws in our current health care system and has helped frame meaningful solutions. Moreover, her experience on both the state and national levels brings a perspective that will help ensure federal health policies meet patients' needs without adversely affecting state programs." (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

AAFP, Others Urge That Pregnant, Postpartum Women Be Immunized Against Flu

AAFP Health of the Public — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0100

The AAFP and nearly a dozen other organizations are urging health care professionals to immunize their pregnant and postpartum patients against influenza. Influenza is five times more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant because of changes to the heart, lungs and immune system during pregnancy. That's according to a Dec. 5 letter signed by the AAFP; AMA; American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Nurse-Midwives; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Nurses Association; American Pharmacists Association; and Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Staying Out and Getting Out of Trouble in the Field of Global Health (Cynthia Haq MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Presentation from AAFP Global Health meeting in San Diego regarding how to prevent and manage problems in global health field experiences. Based on more than 20 years of experience and many problems encountered with students and residents by Drs. Haq and Van Durme. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

FDA Committee Votes to Broaden PCV13 Indication to Adults 50 and Older

AAFP Health of the Public — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:55:00 +0100

The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or PCV13, which is marketed as Prevnar 13, most likely will receive an expanded age indication -- and, possibly, a CDC recommendation -- by the middle of 2012. That's according to one family physician who currently sits on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

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AAFP Statement: AAFP Welcomes Marilyn Tavenner Nomination as CMS Administrator

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

During this time of change, America’s health care system needs a steady, respected and pragmatic leader at the helm of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Marilyn Tavenner’s nomination as CMS director fits the bill. Tavenner brings experience in both the private and public health care sectors, in direct patient care and administration of that care, and in health care policy-making that undergirds patient care. Throughout her career, she has worked to ensure that patients have access to high quality care and that health professionals are paid appropriately. She understands the flaws in our current health care system and has helped frame meaningful solutions. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Preventing the Medicare Payment Cut

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:05:00 +0100

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction's deadline for a budget compromise came and went without legislators issuing a plan that included a solution to the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula. In fact, the so-called supercommittee failed to come up with any plan whatsoever. So where do we as family physicians go from here? Beginning Jan. 1, Medicare payments to physicians will be slashed by 27.4 percent unless Congress intervenes. Although Congress has patched the SGR every year since 2003, time is running out. Both Houses are expected to adjourn by Dec. 21 at the latest, and legislators must still pass an omnibus appropriations bill and a tax bill in addition to dealing with Medicare. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22150650 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

AAFP, TransforMED Combine Knowledge to Better Serve Members

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:40:00 +0100

It was only seven years ago that the Future of Family Medicine report recommended that primary care in the United States adopt a new model of health care focused on creating a medical home for patients. The report also called for creation of a financially self-sustaining national resource center to provide support to FP practices as they transitioned to this new model of care. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AAFP Foundation to Use Behavioral Economics to Fight Chronic Disease

AAFP Health of the Public — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Behavioral economics may not be the "magic bullet" when it comes to actually "curing" chronic disease, but the AAFP Foundation is betting that applying this approach -- which integrates economics with psychology and behavioral science to examine the systematic ways in which people make economic and other choices -- to patients with diabetes can (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

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AAFP Issues Revamped Privacy Policy, Updated Financial Statement

Inside AAFP — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:25:00 +0100

The AAFP recently posted an updated privacy policy for members using the association's website, AAFP.org. The document, which notes that the Academy is dedicated to protecting the privacy of its members, lays out information on the kind of information the AAFP collects from various visitors to the AAFP.org website, how the AAFP uses the data it collects, and how the Academy uses cookies. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Organizations Call for Enhanced Collaboration in Labor, Delivery Practices

Inside AAFP — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:50:00 +0100

The AAFP, in collaboration with several other health care professional organizations, is calling for health care providers and administrators to better collaborate in efforts to curb infant mortality rates and improve labor and delivery outcomes in the United States. The Academy, together with the American Academy of Pediatrics; the American College of Nurse-Midwives; the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, issued a "call to action" on Nov. 30. (Source: Inside AAFP)

People in the News/Awards -- November

Inside AAFP — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:35:00 +0100

AAFP News Now (Source: Inside AAFP)

Alcohol Screening Guide Helps Family Physicians Target Teens Who May Need Help

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:10:00 +0100

Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by teenagers in the United States. Underage drinking has long been an important issue for family physicians who care for these young patients, and many FPs deal with it on a daily basis in their practices. Now, however, the issue has grown even more significant, as so-called binge drinking has emerged as another common problem among teens. In response to this public health threat, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Academy of Pediatrics have developed a resource designed to prevent alcohol-related problems in teens before they start or to detect these problems at an early stage. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Leading Health Care Organizations Issue Recommendations for Quality Patient Care in Labor and Delivery

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The nation’s leading health care organizations in the areas of obstetrics-gynecology, family medicine, and pediatrics issued an unprecedented call to action today for the nation’s health care providers and administrators. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

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Office Champions in Tobacco Cessation: Results From an AAFP Pilot Project (Pamela Rodriguez CAE)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AAFP Ask and Act Tobacco Cessation Program www.askandact.org AAFP Office Champions Tobacco Cessation Pilot Project www.aafp.org/askandact/officechampions (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Giving Thanks

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:40:00 +0100

As we join our loved ones for the holiday this week, it's a natural time to reflect on all we are thankful for -- families, friends, health and careers. I also have a lot to be thankful for this year as AAFP President. This year, the Academy's membership topped 100,000. That's a significant milestone for family medicine. And I'm thankful that so many of you responded to my recent calls for action regarding graduate medical education, Title VII funding, and the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula. As of Nov. 21, more than 2,100 members had written more than 5,300 letters to Congress on these three issues, which are vital to the future of our specialty. Thanks to all of you who have joined in these efforts, and thanks to all our members who serve in family medicine leadership positions ...

Evidence for Substituting Nurses for Primary Care Physicians is Lacking

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:25:00 +0100

There is a growing movement in the United States that seems aimed at expanding the scope of independent practice for nurse practitioners so they can substitute for primary care physicians. However, there is little evidence that nurses can replace primary care physicians effectively. In a 2004 article, researchers with the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews suggested that, "appropriately trained nurses can produce as high quality care as primary care doctors and achieve as good health outcomes for patients." However, the authors went on to acknowledge that the available research on the topic was very limited. A 2009 update did not include any more recent studies. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

Walgreens to Begin Supplying Influenza Vaccine to AAFP Members in Five States

AAFP Health of the Public — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:55:00 +0100

Family physicians in five states now have a new vaccine supplier option available for the 2011-12 flu season. The AAFP is working with Walgreens to make influenza vaccine available from the company's pharmacies at minimal risk to Academy members who have exhausted their supply. The physician distribution influenza vaccine purchase pilot program, which will roll out in California, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Texas, provides AAFP members with another vaccine distribution channel while, at the same time, ensuring immunizations are given in physicians' offices instead of at local retail clinics. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Supercommittee's Failure to Address SGR Repeal Endangers Health Care

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:55:00 +0100

Today's announcement that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," failed in their efforts to reach a budget compromise drew a swift and frustrated response from the AAFP. The supercommittee's failure to recommend a repeal of the deeply flawed formula used to determine Medicare's payments to physicians has "condemned millions of elderly and disabled Americans to ongoing health insecurity, said AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., in a statement from the Academy. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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AAFP Statement: Select Committee on Deficit Reduction Fails to End Health Insecurity for Elderly, Disabled

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has dropped the ball by failing to agree on federal budget cuts demanded by the Budget Reduction Act of 2011. “In doing so, they have also condemned millions of elderly and disabled Americans to continued health insecurity. Their inaction allows the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) that d (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Proposal Offers Hope for SGR Solution

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Every year since 2003, Congress has made temporary fixes to the flawed Medicare payment system. Once again, a potential cut is looming that would threaten the viability of our practices and limit patient access to care. Despite the staggering 27.4 percent cut we're faced with starting Jan. 1, we do not want yet another patch on the unworkable sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula. What we need instead is a permanent fix. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

Overcoming Scarce Resources to Enact Health Care Reform

AAFP Government and Medicine — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

State health care reform efforts have provided valuable lessons on how to build health care delivery and payment systems that promote quality, efficiency and care coordination. And during this year's AAFP State Legislative Conference Nov. 4-5 in Salt Lake City, a panel of experts related their experiences in realigning incentives in the health care delivery system. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Trilipix Efficacy in Question, Says FDA

AAFP Health of the Public — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:10:00 +0100

Fenofibric acid, an active form of fenofibrate that is marketed as Trilipix, may not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a Nov. 9 FDA safety announcement. Family physicians may wish to notify their patients that although the drug has not been shown to lower these cardiovascular risks, patients should not stop taking the medication without first consulting their physician. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Medicare Payment: Value Is as Important as Volume

AAFP Government and Medicine — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:50:00 +0100

In its continuing quest for a resolution to the Medicare payment problem, the AAFP once again has weighed in on the issue by calling on Congress to repeal the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula and enact permanent payment reform that includes a positive payment differential of at least 3 percent for primary care physicians. "Family medicine supports a clearly defined path to permanent payment reform," said AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., in a written statement to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, Committee. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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FPs Offer Tips on How to Motivate Smokers to Quit

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:45:00 +0100

Patrick Conway was a lifetime smoker. In fact, he was one of those patients that many doctors might have stopped counseling to quit smoking. Conway began smoking cigarettes when he was a teenager. By the time he was in his late 40s, he had asthma and was showing early signs of COPD, but he still wasn't ready to quit. Even so, Conway's family physician, Robert Monteleone, M.D., of Kennett Square, Pa., continued to ask him about his smoking habits. Monteleone made it clear to Conway that he was available to help his patient quit smoking when he was ready. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

American Academy of Family Physicians Announces Re-launch of its Award-winning Website, FamilyDoctor.org

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The American Academy of Family Physicians has announced their recently launched redesigned patient education website, FamilyDoctor.org, an award-winning site that aims to improve health literacy and patient engagement through a new set of tools and features. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

AAFP Statement: Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act of 2011 Creates Stability for Patients

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

The American Academy of Family Physicians greatly appreciates the leadership of Rep. Allyson Schwartz in finding a way to address the unsustainable and inequitable formula that determines how physicians are paid by Medicare. “The AAFP congratulates Rep. Schwartz for her legislative proposal that would create a ten-year path to stability in payments and would help the complex health care delivery system better recognize the value of primary care. Only by stabilizing the Medicare physician payment system can we ensure that elderly and disabled patients will have access to the care they need, when they need it. “Rep. Schwartz's proposal is a strong step forward to health care that will be better coordinated and more patient-centered. We urge Congress to pass this legislation that woul...

No mandatory CME for opioid prescribing, physician groups say

Modern Medicine — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The Food and Drug Administration is seeking input from the medical community on a recently released draft document to be used to train providers who prescribe opioids. The American Academy of Family Physicians and other groups strongly oppose mandatory continuing medical education for physicians who prescribe controlled substances. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Follow-up Capitol Hill Visit Focuses on Medicare Payment Fix, Adequate GME Funding

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:40:00 +0100

AAFP President-elect Jeffrey Cain, M.D., of Aurora, Colo., returned to Capitol Hill on Nov. 9 to continue pressing for a long-term Medicare payment solution and adequate funding for graduate medical education, or GME, programs during meetings with key congressional staff members. Cain last visited Capitol Hill on Oct. 20 with several other AAFP leaders, including AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., AAFP Board Chair Roland Goertz, M.D., M.B.A., of Waco, Texas, and AAFP EVP Douglas Henley, M.D. The group met with a variety of congressional leaders and staff to push for a repeal of the SGR, a stable Medicare payment rate for a fixed number of years, and a higher payment rate for primary care physicians within that rate. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22085663 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Spreading Our Message

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:55:00 +0100

Many of you have heard me say that when family physicians work together we can be an unstoppable force. Now you're proving it. I recently asked for your help related to three issues vital to the future of family medicine: protecting funding for graduate medical education, protecting funding for Section 747 of Title VII, and repealing the sustainable growth rate. More than 1,500 of you have responded so far, sending more than 3,200 e-mails to members of Congress. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations, Final Rule

Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:03:53 +0100

Summarizes segments of the rule on Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) as they affect family practitioners in small- and medium-sized practices, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). -- American Academy of Family Physicians (Source: Rural publications via the Rural Assistance Center)

Reforming Health Delivery System is Only Solution to Improving Quality, Restraining Costs, AAFP Tells Senate HELP Committee

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Depending only on a fee-for-service system to pay for health care undermines Congressional efforts to improve the quality of care and constrain the cost of that care. In fact, such a system discourages the very primary care services on which transformation of the U.S. health care system depends. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

New Insurance Models Created by Health Care Reform Act Provide Potential Opportunity

AAFP Government and Medicine — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:10:00 +0100

Family physicians have the unique ability to deliver on the promise of higher quality, lower costs and greater patient access to care. That puts them squarely in a position where they can drive and shape the creation and implementation of health insurance exchanges and consumer-operated and -oriented plans, or CO-OPs, according to speakers at a Nov. 4 plenary session during the 2011 AAFP State Legislative Conference in Salt Lake City. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which created state health insurance exchanges and CO-OPs to give consumers greater access to affordable, high-quality care, is ushering in health insurance market reforms that will cause "painful disruptions," according to Gordana Krkic, vice president of government relations for the Illinois AFP. But, she poin...

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USPSTF Issues Draft Recommendations for Obesity, Cervical Cancer Screening

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:50:00 +0100

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, is updating its screening guidelines for both adult obesity and cervical cancer and has issued new draft recommendations on both topics. The task force also has released a draft recommendation regarding counseling to prevent skin cancer in young people. All three recommendations currently are available for public comment. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Building a Career in Global Health: One Persons Experience (Brian Jack MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Plenary at the San Diego AAFP Global Conference -- reviews experience in several countries (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Investments in Medical Home Model Starting to Pay Dividends

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:30:00 +0100

It has been five years since the AAFP adopted a policy stating that every American should have a "personal medical home." In the years since then, the Academy has championed the idea of the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH, with the belief that the PCMH model improves outcomes and lowers health care costs. Although many of you have started -- and in some cases completed -- the long process of transforming your practices into officially recognized medical homes, some of you have decided that the necessary time, money and effort make it too daunting a task relative to an uncertain financial benefit. In short, you want assurances that your sizable investment will pay off. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AAFP Endorses ACP Clinical Guideline for Treatment of ED

AAFP Health of the Public — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:55:00 +0100

The American Academy of Family Physicians has endorsed a clinical practice guideline on the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction, or ED, that was developed by the American College of Physicians, or ACP. Among the chief recommendations included in the guideline is that physicians should consider initiating phosphodiesterase-5, or PDE-5, inhibitor therapy in men who seek treatment for ED and have no contraindications to PDE-5 inhibitor use. The ED guideline endorsement is the latest completed since the AAFP Board of Directors approved a process for endorsing clinical practice guidelines developed by external organizations in February 2009. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Protect Funding for Primary Care Training

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:30:00 +0100

Did you know that there is only one federal program that provides funding specifically to academic departments and programs to educate and train primary care physicians? That program, Section 747 of Title VII, has been proven to improve and increase the primary care workforce. In fact, primary care physicians graduating from Title VII programs are up to four times more likely than other graduates to practice in underserved areas. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

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Key Program Supporting Family Medicine Education Under Attack

AAFP Government and Medicine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:15:00 +0100

The single federal program that provides funding for training primary care physicians "is in critical condition," according to AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash. Congress needs to ensure that Title VII of the Public Health Service Act receives the $140 million it needs to continue functioning. Stream decried the threat to the primary care medicine training program during a new video released as part of the AAFP's Family Medicine Matters campaign. The campaign has been calling on members to contact their legislators and send them videos on funding for graduate medical education and repealing the sustainable growth rate, as well as on funding for Title VII. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Collaborative residency training in Kenya and Ethiopia (Elizabeth Hutchinson MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Presentation at AAFP global health meeting: 10/13/11. This is a model where a US residency is paired with a residency in Kenya and Ethiopia to improve training quality. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

FamilyDoctor.org Makeover Matches New Look With New Features

Inside AAFP — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:50:00 +0100

With cold and flu season ramping up, it's hard to imagine a better time for the launch of the newly redesigned FamilyDoctor.org. As patients begin flocking to the Academy's award-winning patient education website to find out what's likely causing their sniffles and body aches, the site boasts a number of enhancements they'll see and experience. Among those improvements are a text-to-audio tool, rehab exercise animations and a list of questions patients can ask their family doctor about health conditions discussed on the site. Plus, FamilyDoctor.org is now "mobile-friendly," so patients can consult the site virtually everywhere they go. (Source: Inside AAFP)

AAFP Statement: 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Reflects Flawed SGR Formula

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

“Medicare beneficiaries and the physicians who treat them will feel the brunt of the final 2012 Medicare physician fee schedule released yesterday. Since Congress has not yet addressed the physician payment cuts that are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is forced to slash Medicare payment for physician services by 27.4 percent. Such a drastic cut poses a serious threat to the financial viability of physician practices. “Hardest hit will be primary care physicians, who are the foundation of a high quality, cost-effective health delivery system. Primary care physicians are essential to the comprehensive and coordinated care that elderly patients with multiple chronic illnesses need. In fact, Medicare patients make up an average of on...

Funding and Funders of Family Medicine International Projects (Brian Jack MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Breakout for AAFP Global Health Conference - presentation reviews some of the players in global health funding and gives idea on how to get started. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22046934 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Aafp'S new president urges family physicians to "be part of the unstoppable force of family medicine".

Annals of Family Medicine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Aafp'S new president urges family physicians to "be part of the unstoppable force of family medicine". Ann Fam Med. 2011 Nov;9(6):553-4 Authors: Porter S PMID: 22084268 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annals of Family Medicine)

People in the News/Awards -- October

Inside AAFP — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:45:00 +0100

A number of AAFP members received some prestigious honors and awards this past month, including several awards given by the AAFP during its annual Scientific Assembly. In addition, the American Board of Family Medicine's Pisacano Leadership Foundation has named five individuals as this year's Pisacano Scholars. (Source: Inside AAFP)

How You Can Help Solve the SGR Issue

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:55:00 +0100

In 2010, Congress put five temporary patches on the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, part of the flawed formula that CMS uses to set Medicare payment rates for physician services. If Congress does not act again by Dec. 31, our Medicare payments will be cut by nearly 30 percent. Though Congress has delayed such cuts at least once a year since 2002, family physicians should not have undue confidence that our legislators will do so again. A few months ago, Congress formed the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. This "supercommittee" is tasked with reducing the federal deficit by at least $1.5 trillion during the next 10 years. This committee represents our best opportunity in years to resolve the SGR issue. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

Videos, Speak Out Alert Drive Support for Medicare Payment Reform

AAFP Government and Medicine — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:30:00 +0100

The AAFP is urging its members to stand up and fight for Medicare payment reform via customized Speak Out alerts and two new videos in its Family Medicine Matters Campaign. The AAFP is asking members to contact their Congressional representatives about repealing the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula via customized Speak Out Alerts. In addition, the Academy is calling on members to ask Congress for a set Medicare payment rate for the next three to five years. This will ensure there is time to study various payment methodologies to come up with something better than the SGR. The Academy also wants Congress to add a 3 percent increase for primary care physicians within that set payment rate for the next three to five years. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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AAFP Targets Medicare Payment, Medical Education Funding in Campaign

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

LEAWOOD, Kan. — “Stand up and fight.” That’s the message family physicians and patient advocates are getting in a month-long video campaign launched by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Focused on the long-standing flaws in the Medicare physician payment system, the challenges to graduate medical education funding and budget threats to primary care physician training, the campaign comprises three videos targeted to AAFP members, a fourth video targeted to Congress, a letter-writing campaign and social media updates. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

RUC's Failings Shouldn't Deter Student Interest in Family Medicine

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:05:00 +0100

I recently had an opportunity to speak to more than 700 people at the Family Medicine Education Consortium region meeting in Danvers, Mass. The audience included hundreds of family medicine educators, residents and medical students. My topic was the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee, or RUC, the expert panel that makes recommendations to CMS on the relative values of CPT codes. For the 300 medical students in attendance, I delivered a key message about the RUC: Don't worry about it. The RUC is a problem that we are working to fix, and it will be fixed in such a time that these young people's careers will not suffer negative, long-term effects. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

ACIP Expands HPV Vaccine Recommendation to Adolescent Boys

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0100

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted to recommend major changes in the use of two vaccines during its Oct. 25-26 meeting in Atlanta. The committee agreed on a provisional recommendation to expand the routine use of quadrivalent human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine to adolescent boys, and it also voted to recommend the use of hepatitis B vaccine in all adults with diabetes who are younger than age 60 and who have not previously received the vaccine. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Family Medicine in Lebanon (Jinan Usta MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation was made at the 8th AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop held in San Diego, CA, October 13-15, 2011 (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

AAFP Continues to Press Congress for Medicare Payment Solution

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:25:00 +0100

The AAFP continues to press Congress for a long-term Medicare payment fix. In one of its latest efforts, the Academy has signed onto an AARP-circulated letter that calls on Congress to repeal the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula, which has triggered steep cuts in the Medicare payment rate during the past nine years. "We need to move away from the current payment formula that, year after year, relies on congressional action to postpone scheduled payment cuts, including a drastic 29.5 percent cut scheduled to take effect beginning Jan. 1," says the letter, which was sent to the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 19 and signed by six physician and Medicare beneficiary organizations, including the AAFP. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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On the Hill

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:10:00 +0100

I recently asked you to contact your lawmakers in Washington about issues vital to the future of family medicine as part of a grassroots advocacy campaign. On Oct. 20, AAFP leaders and staff delivered that message in person. Board Chair Roland Goertz, M.D., M.B.A.; President-elect Jeffrey Cain, M.D.; AAFP EVP/CEO Douglas Henley, M.D.; and I, along with nine other members of the Academy staff, had a series of meetings with congressional staff and administration officials to advocate for family medicine. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AAFP Leaders Press Congressional, Agency Staff on Need to Repeal SGR, Preserve GME Funding

AAFP Government and Medicine — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:00:00 +0100

On Oct. 20, AAFP leaders carried the banner of family medicine to Capitol Hill when they met with congressional staff and regulatory officials to discuss issues essential to sustaining and strengthening primary care and family medicine. "We are continuing to build momentum in the direction we need to," said AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., one of four Academy leaders who met with congressional staff and health care officials. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Javette Orgain, M.D., M.P.H., Runs for AAFP Vice Speaker

Inside AAFP — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:45:00 +0100

The Illinois AFP announces the candidacy of Javette Orgain, M.D., M.P.H., of Chicago, for AAFP vice speaker. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Funding and Funders of Family Medicine International Projects (Brian Jack MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Breakout session at San Diego AAFP CIHI Global Health Conference on the subject of Funders and Funding of FM Global Health Projects. How to get started with funding. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Wonca and Other International Organizations as Resources (Dan Ostergaard MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation was made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop held in San Diego, October 13-15 (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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Health Professional Migration in an Interconnected World (Cynthia Haq MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation was made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop held in San Diego, October 13-15. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Health Professional Migration in an Interconnected World: Lebanon (Jinan Usta MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation was made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop held in San Diego, October 13-15 (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

How Information Can Improve Equity and Efficiency in the Delivery of Primary Health Care (Karen Kinder PhD, MBA)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Presentation made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop held in San Diego, October 13-15 (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Campaign Focuses on GME Outreach

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:00:00 +0100

The United States is expected to face a shortage of more than 90,000 physicians by the end of this decade. That number could be far greater if Congress does not act to protect Medicare financing for graduate medical education, or GME, amid the focused efforts to reduce the national deficit. The AAFP and more than three dozen other health organizations recently sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- the "supercommittee" tasked with reducing the deficit by more than $1 trillion during the next 10 years -- urging committee members to invest in, rather than cut, physician training programs. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

Support Primary Care GME; Contact Your Legislators Now

AAFP Government and Medicine — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:00:00 +0100

As part of its Family Medicine Matters campaign, the AAFP has issued a Speak Out alert and a two-minute video that urges Academy members to contact their representatives in Washington now to help stop deep cuts in the nation's graduate medical education, or GME, programs. "Congress needs to wake up and realize that if they cut GME and fail to protect primary care in the process, Americans simply won't have the family doctors they rely on," says AAFP President Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., in the video. "We can't let politicians make decisions that harm family physicians and our patients without hearing from us first. Tell Congress: Protect graduate medical education funding." (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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Stand Up for Family Medicine

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:00:00 +0100

Possible Bacterial Contamination Spurs Nasal Spray Recall

AAFP Health of the Public — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:25:00 +0100

Insight Pharmaceuticals LLC has announced a voluntary recall of one lot of its Nostrilla Nasal Decongestant nasal spray because the product may be contaminated with the respiratory pathogen Burkholderia cepacia (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP Statement: AAFP Commends CMS for Improving Medicare ACO Final Rule, Announcing the Advance Payment Model

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0100

“The Medicare Accountable Care Organization final rule recently released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services represents a substantial step toward mending America’s broken health care system. The final rule sets the stage for transforming the way patients receive care and promises to end the fragmentation, duplication and miscommunication that contribute to poor care and high costs. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

New CDC Data Review Prompts Renewed Call for PCV13 Immunization

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:45:00 +0100

According to the CDC, more than 4,000 children are diagnosed with invasive pneumococcal disease, or IPD, in the United States each year. IPD can manifest as bacteremia, pneumonia and even meningitis. A recent CDC data review shows that children younger than age 5 years continue to develop IPD despite updated pneumococcal vaccination recommendations, prompting the agency to renew its call for appropriate immunization against Streptococcus pneumoniae (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

Global Health Residency Training at Loma Linda University: Capacity Assessment and Options for Family and Preventive Medicine Residents (Wayne Dysinger MD, MPH)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

PowerPoint slides used for panel presentation for 1-hour Breakout Session during 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop in San Diego, October 13, 2011. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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Practical approaches to mental health (AAFP Scientific Assembly)

American Medical News - HEALTH — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Family physicians are urged to screen their patients for mental illness and treat those whose conditions are not severe. (Source: American Medical News - HEALTH)

Pasaportes de Salud: Low-Tech Approach for Sustainability for Short-Term International Medical Projects (Mark Ryan MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Slides from the 8th Annual AAFP Global Family Medicine Workshop peer session. The slides describe the importance of addressing chronic diseases in global health projects, present a solution to facilitate chronic disease care, and discuss challenges we have faced in implementing health passports in our community. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22010765 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Physician Payment, RUC Top FP Issues, Says New AAFP President

Inside AAFP — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:05:00 +0100

Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., the AAFP's newly installed president, describes himself as "an optimistic person by nature," but not someone who is "naively optimistic." Stream, like many in the health care world, is convinced that primary care in general and family medicine in particular are keys to resolving many of the ills that plague our nation's health care system. He addressed these and other issues during a recent interview with AAFP News Now. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Nationwide Campaign Focuses on Repealing SGR, Protecting Key FP Programs

AAFP Government and Medicine — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:45:00 +0100

Today marks the start of a nationwide AAFP campaign to rally member and congressional support for issues key to the continued success of family medicine, and the AAFP is looking for members' first-hand experiences to provide context for the debate. The campaign, known as Family Medicine Matters, will employ a variety of methods to generate support for three key issues: repeal of the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula; protection of graduate medical education, or GME, funding; and increasing funding for Title VII health professions training grants to $140 million. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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GW's Graham Receives Award from American Academy of Family Physicians

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Dr. Robert Graham, research professor in the department of Health Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and the national program director of the Aligning forces for Quality Care (AF4Q) program, has received the John G. Walsh Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

AAFP Voices Support for HHS' Million Hearts Initiative

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:20:00 +0100

Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, is responsible for 800,000 deaths in the United States -- or one in three people -- and an estimated $444 billion in overall costs each year. That's according to a recent article in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

USPSTF Recommends Against PSA-based Prostate Cancer Screening

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:00:00 +0100

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, has once again rejected the status quo, following the evidence to propose a recommendation some likely will find controversial. The task force has published draft recommendations against prostate-specific antigen-, or PSA-, based screening for prostate cancer in asymptomatic men. The USPSTF gave the guidance a D recommendation, which means there is moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits, and the task force discourages use of the service. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP Board Approves Appointment of Student Chair for 2012 Conference

Inside AAFP — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:05:00 +0100

Due to unforeseen circumstances, a replacement has been named for the position of student chair of the 2012 National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students. (Source: Inside AAFP)

A Conversation About Fair Payment

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:30:00 +0100

According to a recent survey, payment issues are the No. 1 concern for AAFP members. We heard you and wanted you to know that we are actively working on this topic for you with both public and private payers. Academy leaders, including myself, met with about a dozen representatives from one of the nation's largest private payers on Oct. 10 to discuss payment and your concerns. During the four-hour meeting -- which included representatives from UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries, UnitedHealthcare and Optum -- the AAFP discussed distressed practice environments and clearly spelled out for company representatives that paying fee-for-service rates that are below Medicare rates harms primary care physicians and jeopardizes patients' access to care. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AA...

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Medicare advisory group recommends SGR repeal, catch-up for PCP

Modern Medicine — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission will officially recommend to Congress a plan that repeals the sustainable growth rate formula and replaces it with a mechanism to keep rates steady for primary care physicians over the next decade while cutting payments to specialists. Not surprisingly, the AMA and specialty societies strongly oppose the plan. Find out why the AAFP also has concerns. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Can providers sue states to block Medicaid cuts? Supreme Court hears arguments

Medical Economics - Practice Management — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

More than 30 states are seeking to cut Medicaid payments to physicians, and a California case before the U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether providers can use the courts to block those actions. Medical groups, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, have filed briefs in support of providers, warning that payment cuts could have dire consequences. What is likely to happen if the court prevents provider lawsuits and allows California to go forward with its plans to cut Medi-Cal payments by 10%? (Source: Medical Economics - Practice Management)

Proposed Rule on CO-OP Program Needs Changes

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:30:00 +0100

The AAFP once again is calling on CMS to fully incorporate the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH, into an initiative designed to foster the creation of qualified nonprofit health insurance plans in every state and the District of Columbia. The Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan, or CO-OP, program resulted from passage of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The program provides loans to help generate consumer-governed, private, nonprofit health insurance plans that can compete in the individual and small group markets. One of the goals of the program is to create at least one qualified nonprofit health insurance plan in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Primatene Mist Asthma Inhaler No Longer Sold After Dec. 31, 2011

AAFP Health of the Public — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:05:00 +0100

Primatene Mist is the only OTC inhaler used to treat mild asthma that is sold in the United States. But after Dec. 31, 2011, the epinephrine inhalers will no longer be available to American consumers. The inhalers are being phased out because they use chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, as a propellant. The use of CFCs does not comply with the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, an international agreement that requires the phase-out of products and substances that diminish the protective ozone layer surrounding the Earth. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP-CIHI11 Advocating for Global Health Curriculum in Family Medicine: The Resident Perspective (Archna Gupta MD, CCFP)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation outlines the following: a) What educational opportunities exist in Global Health for family medicine residents in Canada and why there is an unmet need; b)Why training in Global Health is relevant to all family medicine residents; and c)Why it is essential to have institutionally supported programs in Global Health. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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AAFP CIHI 2011 - Preparing Medical Students for Global Health Electives (Martha Carlough MD, MPH)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Medical Liability Reform Focus of Letter to Supercommittee

AAFP Government and Medicine — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:15:00 +0100

The AAFP has put its signature on an AMA-circulated letter that calls on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," to include meaningful medical liability reform in the final legislative package approved by the committee. "Reforming our costly, inefficient and unfair liability system will save American taxpayers billions of dollars while protecting patient access to care," says the letter, which was signed by 109 state and specialty medical societies and sent to members of the supercommittee. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Center Preserves, Shares Family Medicine's Inspirational History

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:20:00 +0100

What's the best-kept secret in family medicine? It might be the Center for the History of Family Medicine, or CHFM, the only repository devoted exclusively to preserving and sharing the story of our specialty in the United States. In essence, the CHFM is the collective memory of family medicine. Younger Academy members may not know the center exists. Older members may remember it as an archive -- but it's now so much more than that. In fact, it's likely the most ambitious effort by a specialty to systematically preserve its own history. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AHRQ Issues Guidance on Relative Benefits, Risks of GERD Treatments

AAFP Health of the Public — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:20:00 +0100

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ, has released guides outlining the risks and benefits of various management options for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, for clinicians and adult patients. The guides are based on a comparative effectiveness review of 166 clinical studies that was conducted by researchers at Tufts Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center in Boston. In addition to the full report, an executive summary of that review is available on the AHRQ website. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP-CIHI11 The Rwanda Health and Healing Project (Ellen J Plumb MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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Rockefeller Bill Linking Education, Physician Prescribing Redundant, Says AAFP

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:40:00 +0100

A bill introduced by Sen. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., that would require physicians to undergo mandatory education as a condition for prescribing certain drugs, such as opioids, has triggered a letter protesting the language in the bill and outlining the extensive education family physicians undergo that makes them fully qualified to prescribe opioids without resorting to mandatory education. In the September letter to Rockefeller, AAFP Board Chair Roland Goertz, M.D., M.B.A., of Waco, Texas, cites AAFP policy, which opposes legislation or other actions that would require mandatory education of family physicians as a condition for prescribing specific drugs, including opioids. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Effort to Repeal SGR Continues With Support for 'Dear Colleague' Letter

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:35:00 +0100

As part of a targeted grassroots effort to convince the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," to repeal the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula as part of its final legislation, the Academy has sent a Speak Out Alert to its key contact members urging them to tell their House members to sign a "Dear Colleague" letter that calls on the supercommittee to repeal the SGR. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

AAFP-CIHI11 Transforming a traveling medical clinic into sustainable health care in rural Haiti (Marc Johnson MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This is a powerpoint presentation for the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop in San Diego. It is entitled "Transforming a traveling medical clinic into sustainable health care in rural Haiti (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 22010609 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

Four-year Training in Family Medicine: Strength Through Versatility Using the Uniformed Services as a Model.

Famly Medicine — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Discussion: While military family physicians do not believe that extending family medicine residency to 4 years will increase interest in the discipline, they do acknowledge that extending training beyond the current 3-year model would be beneficial. Because of the central role of family physicians within the military health system, military family medicine residencies present an ideal environment for examining educational outcomes using 4-year training models. PMID: 22002780 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Famly Medicine)

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Entry of US Medical School Graduates Into Family Medicine Residencies: 2010--2011 and 3-year Summary.

Famly Medicine — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This article reports the 3-year average percentage from each medical school of graduates entering family medicine residencies and the number and percentage of graduates from colleges of osteopathic medicine who entered Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family medicine residency programs in 2010. PMID: 22002773 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Famly Medicine)

Tar Wars Winner Gives Back

AAFP Health of the Public — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:00:00 +0100

First, Alana McGuinness got the attention of physicians with her artwork. Now, she's done it again with her generosity. The 10-year-old from Bristol, R.I., was named the winner of the Tar Wars National Poster Contest July 12 in Washington, D.C., during the annual Tar Wars National Conference, which is the culmination of the AAFP's school-based tobacco-free education program. The prize --$2,000 -- traditionally is used by the winner for a family vacation. But McGuinness, who has traveled to out-of-state figure skating and gymnastics competitions and has taken family vacations in places like California, Florida, New York and Texas, had other ideas. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP Launches Grass-Roots Outreach to Urge Repeal of Medicare’s Flawed Payment Formula

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

LEAWOOD, Kan. — The American Academy of Family Physicians has launched a national grass-roots campaign urging the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula that determines Medicare physician payment. The campaign is part of the AAFP’s effort to ensure that patients have access to the care they need by stabilizing the Medicare system, according to Glen Stream, MD, president of the AAFP. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

AAFP-CIHI11 Starting from Scratch:Developing a Global Health Area of Concentration for your Residency (Maurice M Henein MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Global Health Area of Concentration in Family Medicine Residency; How to start one and why. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Initiative Will Use Blended Payment Model to Drive Health Care Transformation

AAFP Government and Medicine — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:35:00 +0100

The AAFP has long urged public and private payers to adopt a blended payment model that rewards primary care physicians for coordinating and managing patient care. Now, CMS and its Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, or CMMI, have joined the movement with the launch of a new initiative -- the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative. The initiative will allow CMS to work with commercial and state health insurance plans to support primary care practices that deliver coordinated and seamless care based on the tenets of the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

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AAFP Statement: Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative an “Important Breakthrough” in Solving Health Care Challenges

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Statement Attributable to: Glen Stream, MD, MBI President American Academy of Family Physicians “The American Academy of Family Physicians applauds the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative announced today by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. This program is an important breakthrough in reforming our health care policy — focusing our system on patients’ needs, ensuring their access to primary care and helping control the cost of health services. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Office Champions Project Nets Gains in Smoking Cessation Efforts

AAFP Health of the Public — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:05:00 +0100

Practice administrator Glenn Jennings, M.B.A., lost both his parents to smoking-related illnesses and his father-in-law to lung cancer, so he and his wife, family physician Carrie Burns, M.D., already were advocates for nonsmoking well before their Baytown, Texas, practice participated in the AAFP's Office Champions Tobacco Cessation Pilot Project. "What the project did was raise our level of awareness in our office, give us some tools and make us do some thinking about how we could be more effective," said Jennings, who served as the practice's office champion. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

AAFP-CIHI11 HAF Treatment of non-communicable diseases in rural Vietnam (Brian Penti MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Hoi An Foundation, a non-profit organization begun by Josh Solomon MD to address unmet medical needs in central Vietnam, has been working with WHO and Ministry of Health to develop protocols for treatment of non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, in rural commune health centers which may have limited resources, including medications, laboratory access, and physicians. We've developed protocols for screening non-communicable diseases and treatment of these diseases, which are currently being evaluated in a pilot program and will later be presented to WHO and Ministry of Health. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

AAFP-CIHI 11 Travel Medicine - The pretravel consultation (Chris Jenkins MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This presentation was made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop as a breakout session (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

AAFP-CIHI11 Overcoming Specialist's Apathy toward Family Medicine (Chris Jenkins MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The presentation was made at the 2011 AAFP Family Medicine Global Health Workshop as a breakout sessions (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

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AAFP Joins AMA, Other Groups in Calling on Deficit-reduction Committee to Repeal SGR

AAFP Government and Medicine — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:50:00 +0100

The AAFP has signed on to an AMA-drafted letter that calls on Congress' Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction -- known as the "supercommittee" -- to include a full repeal of the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula used in calculating Medicare physician payment as part of its final legislation. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Draft Proposal for Medicare Pay Focuses on Primary Care, but AAFP Challenges Approach

AAFP Government and Medicine — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:30:00 +0100

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, is proposing draft recommendations that call for eliminating the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula, which sets payment rates for Medicare services. Although the AAFP is applauding the proposal to eliminate the SGR, which is accompanied by a positive payment differential to the Medicare conversion factor for primary care physicians, other recommendations from the commission are raising red flags. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

Join in the Social Media Revolution With AAFP Leaders

As We See It: Voices From the AAFP — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Have you noticed that social media has moved far beyond its early roots in online dating, role-playing games and helping people find their old high-school classmates? In fact, Facebook reports that it now has 750 million users worldwide, more than double the population of the United States and Canada combined. According to the independent site checkfacebook.com, there are more than 155 million Facebook accounts in the United States alone. Twitter, meanwhile, has 200 million registered users, and twice that many people visit the site each month. (Source: As We See It: Voices From the AAFP)

AAFP Statement: MedPAC Interim Recommendations Acknowledge the Need for Improved Payment for Primary Care

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

“The American Academy of Family Physicians applauds the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission for acknowledging in its draft recommendations on repealing the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula that primary care is the foundation for a high-functioning health system that ensures patients have access to the comprehensive care they need. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Packaging Error Leads to Recall of Multiple Lots of Oral Contraceptives

AAFP Health of the Public — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 22:15:00 +0100

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, based in Huntsville, Ala., has voluntarily initiated an immediate, nationwide recall of multiple lots of oral contraceptives because of a packaging error that affects the products' dosing regimen and could increase women's risk of becoming pregnant. (Source: AAFP Health of the Public)

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Tobacco Oversight Must Include Cigars, Say AAFP, Other Groups

AAFP Government and Medicine — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:40:00 +0100

The AAFP and more than 40 other organizations have signed on to a letter strongly opposing House bill H.R. 1639, which would exempt many cigars from regulation under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act enacted in 2009. According to the AAFP and the other groups, the FDA should retain the authority to regulate all tobacco products, including cigars. All products containing tobacco cause death and should not be exempted from oversight by the agency, said the AAFP in the letter, which was sent to co-sponsors of the House legislation. (Source: AAFP Government and Medicine)

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) 2011 Scientific AssemblyAmerican Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) 2011 Scientific Assembly

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:28:55 +0100

Read clinically focused news coverage of key developments from the meeting. Medscape Family Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Family doctors divided between EHR haves, have-nots

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:13:38 +0100

Source: Anne Zieger, EHR Outlook Content: “This week, I’m honored to be attending the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Scientific Assembly meeting in Orlando. While the focus here is on clinical practice topics, I’m talking with family doctors about the use of EHRs in their practices. What I’m picking up here is that even among this [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Glen R. Stream, MD, MBI, assumes role of president of the American Academy of Family Physicians

Healthcare IT News Press Releases — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:01:00 +0100

Glen R. Stream, MD, MBI, FAAFP, a family physician in Spokane, Wash., assumes the role of president of the American Academy of Family Physicians today. Previously, he served three years as a director on the AAFP Board and one year as president-elect. Stream was elected president-elect in September 2010 by the Congress of Delegates, the AAFP's governing body. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Press Releases)

AAFP News Now: AFP Edition.

American Family Physician — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: PMID: 21916386 [PubMed - in process] (Source: American Family Physician)

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Cardiac stress testing (Eddie Needham Program Director)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This a presentation given at 2011 AAFP Annual Scientific Assembly. It reviews the current non-catheter/PCI based methods for assessing risk of coronary artery disease (TMST, stress echo, perfusion studies, etc...). It explores in detail the TMST and reviews 3 TMSTs. In closing, the Duke treadmill score is highlighted as a method of predicting patient outcomes based on TMST data. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

Robert Graham, MD, Recieves National Honor from American Academy of Family Physicians

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Robert Graham, MD, director of the Aligning Forces for Quality Program at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and professor of family medicine at the University of Cincinnati, today was awarded the 2011 John G. Walsh Award by the American Academy of Family Physicians at its annual meeting here. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Ohio Family Physician Receives Public Health Award at American Academy of Family Physicians Annual Meeting

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rob Crane, MD, a family physician from Dublin, Ohio, was awarded the 2011 Public Health Award by the American Academy of Family Physicians at its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The AAFP’s Public Health Award recognizes individuals who have made or are making extraordinary contributions to the health of the American public. The award was one of seven presented for exceptional achievement in the field of family medicine at the AAFP’s Scientific Assembly, one of the largest gatherings of primary care providers in the country. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Washington Doctor Named 2012 Family Physician of the Year

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — The American Academy of Family Physicians today named Richard D. Kovar, MD, FAAFP, the national 2012 Family Physician of the Year at the opening ceremony of its annual Scientific Assembly. The award honors one outstanding American family physician who provides patients with compassionate and comprehensive care, and serves as a role model professionally and personally in his or her community, to other health professionals, and to residents and medical students. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

University of Connecticut School of Medicine Student Elected to American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Jessica Johnson, a student at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Conn., has been elected to the board of the directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. Johnson was elected to a one-year term by the National Congress of Student Members and was confirmed by the governing body of the AAFP, the Congress of Delegates. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Jackson, Miss., Physician Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Brent Smith, MD, a family physician in Jackson, Miss., has been elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. Smith was elected to a one-year term by the National Congress of Family Medicine Residents and confirmed by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Portland, Ore., Family Physician Named New Physician Member of the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Robyn Liu, MD, MPH, FAAFP, a family physician in Portland, Ore., has been elected the New Physician member of the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. Liu was elected to a one-year term by the New Physician Constituency during the AAFP National Conference of Special Constituencies and was confirmed by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Missouri Physician Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Julie K. Wood, MD, FAAFP, a family physician in Kansas City, Mo., has been elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. Wood was elected to a three-year term by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)

Nevada Physician Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians

AAFP News Releases and Statements — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:00:00 +0100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Daniel R. Spogen, MD, FAAFP, a family physician in Reno, Nev., has been elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 100,300 physicians and medical students nationwide. Spogen was elected to a three-year term by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates. (Source: AAFP News Releases and Statements)