ACP InternistSM - July/August 2009
Featured Articles
Medicine and Genetics
A brave new world of consumer gene tests
Direct-to-consumer tests are easy, cheap—and sometimes wrong. Yet, patients are handing them to their doctors on a weekly basis and asking for advice. Learn how to work with patients after they’ve sought out genome-wide analysis and then bring the results to doctors to sort out subtle meanings from often fallible tests.
Cardiology and Diabetes
Cardiac care critical for diabetic patients
Even the experts feel like they’re missing potential cardiological complications in diabetic patients. They consider how to screen this population effectively for the 3% of patients who experience cardiac-related deaths.
Conference Coverage
The most promising drugs in the pipeline for primary care
An expert sorts through the drug research pipeline to find novel medicines that are relevant to internal medicine, including rivaroxaban for VTE, telcagepant for migraines and anacetrapib for increasing HDL.
Research at SGIM meeting targets prevention
From smoking to weight loss to vaccination, much of the research at the Society for General Internal Medicine annual meeting focused on preventive medicine. Researchers from around the country shared data on their efforts to keep patients healthy.
Medicine and management: hits from Hospital Medicine 2009
An expert discusses managing aortic dissection as a disease for life. Also, highlights from Hospital Medicine 2009 discuss caring for the pregnant patient, documenting care for the best reimbursement and ways to improve handoffs from shift to shift.
Smoking Cessation
For tobacco dependent, pharmacotherapy is the best medicine
Evidence is mounting that most smokers will require some sort of pharmacotherapeutic intervention to help them quit. Experts parse out prescriptions, but don’t discount behavioral strategies for quitting.
FDA Update
Digoxin, Biosite Triage Cardiac Panel, insulin pumps recalled
A summary of approvals, recalls, warnings and alerts digested by ACP Internist from the Food and Drug Administration’s alerts.
Perspectives
Mindful Medicine
Start at the top to get to the bottom of a diagnosis
ACP Member C. Christopher Smith reconsiders a patient’s self-reported diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome to uncover the true cause of his symptoms.
Leadership Day 2009
Leadership Day launches new legislation for primary care
ACP members lobby their congressional representatives to plead their case for saving primary care, as well as introduce the “Preserving Patient Access to Primary Care Act of 2009,” which proposes incentives to pay for care coordination and medical education.
Practical Genomics
Genomics impacts everyday practices in unexpected ways
The hospitalization of a relative sets a leader in genomic research musing about how far medical practice has advanced in treating a common condition, and how far cutting-edge advances could go.
Editor’s Note
Looking back: Some constants amid change
Looking back at the history of health care reform to gain insight on the future of primary care medicine.
ACP Highlights
What’s new in ACP Hospitalist
What’s new in ACP Hospitalist and other College publications, including a review of the impact of ICU glucose control for critically ill patients and the highly anticipated launch of MKSAP 15.
President’s Message
Universal care frees doctors to take ‘all measures required’
The ability of physicians to meet the new demands of a modern Hippocratic oath requires universal coverage as outlined by ACP.
Washington Perspective
Primary care gains ground but pay reform still up in the air
Politicians acknowledge needing more primary care physicians, but paying for it requires support from elected officials and from the College.
Practice Management
Reinventing Health Care
Shared visits improve access, productivity and satisfaction
Shared office visits offer 90-minute blocks of time to groups facing common and chronic conditions. A few distinct models have gained broad acceptance by doctors and their patients.
Success Story
From peer review to practical application
While using the Epley Maneuver undoubtedly relieves benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, training staff in a new method presented obstacles. One physician explains how he implements dedicated teaching time for staff.
Practice Rx
Future claims: Moving toward ICD-10 and new standards
ICD-10 and transactions standards are changing. ACP’s practice management staff advise how to stay up-to-date across the entire office as Medicare expands its 13,000 diagnosis codes to more than 68,000.
CPII Tips
The stimulus package and buying EHRs
The recent federal economic stimulus package set aside more than $17 billion for doctors and hospitals to adopt EHRs. ACP has developed extended guides to answer physician’s questions about the incentives.
College News
Physician Profile
The search for answers is in his blood (and yours)
Joel Moake, FACP, explains his four-decades-long pursuit of new information in the field of hemostasis/thrombosis, and what attracted him to internal medicine.
Awards
In recognition of their outstanding service, these exceptional individuals received chapter awards in April, May and June 2009.
Obituaries
Included in this month’s listings are former ACP President Ralph O. Wallerstein, MACP.
Internist Archives Quick Links
ACP Career Connection
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Register Now For Your ACP Fall Chapter Meeting
Attend your fall chapter meeting, earn CME credit, and find out what your local ACP Chapter has to offer! See the Chapter calendar or find out more, including the answers to frequently asked questions about ACP Chapters and regions.
Test Your Medical Knowledge on Your Mobile Device with ACP’s Doctor's Dilemma™ Game!
This new online game is based on the popular ACP Doctor's Dilemma™ Competition from ACP’s annual Internal Medicine meetings. The game is simple to play but challenging to master. Start now!