Family Practice News articles from July 2004

Family Practice News archives from July 2004

Feds embrace new meningococcal shot: policy anticipates licensure.(News)
July 15, 2004... ATLANTA -- All adolescents and college freshman living in dormitories should be routinely vaccinated with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, according to a meningococcal work group of the Centers for Disease Control and...

Total health expenditures per capita nearly double from 1990 to 2002.(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... VITAL SIGNs Total Health Expenditures per Capita Nearly Double From 1990 to 2002 1990 $2,738 1992 $3,184 1994 $3,534 1996 $3,847 1998 $4,179 2000 $4,670 2002 $5,440 Note: Based on data from the...

Access crisis: AMA says think outside the tax credit box: broad state-based initiatives: a single plan unlikely to work, says AAFP delegate Dr. Michael O. Fleming.(News)
July 15, 2004... CHICAGO -- The American Medical Association House of Delegates approved language at its 2004 annual meeting to urge congressional support for a variety of state-based initiatives aimed at providing health coverage to low-income patients. ...

Band of preventers fights leading causes of death: unprecedented partnership: coalition mounts huge prevention effort.(News)
July 15, 2004... The American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association have joined forces to help Americans lower their risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, which together account for nearly two out...

Gestational diabetes history stronger risk factor for type 2: among parous women in DPP.(News)(Diabetes Prevention Program )
July 15, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA, -- Women with a history of gestational diabetes are far more likely to go on to develop type 2 diabetes than are women with equally impaired glucose tolerance who have never had gestational diabetes, Dr. Robert E. Ratner...

Shortcuts to diagnose interstitial cystitis may miss cancer cases: 1% have carcinomas.(News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Symptoms attributed to intersitial cystitis instead were caused by transitional cell carcinoma in 1% of 600 patients, a retrospective review found. The data came from 1998-2002, with diagnoses of interstitial cystitis...

Influenza vaccine production to exceed last year's supply: strong demand.(News)
July 15, 2004... ATLANTA -- More influenza vaccine will be produced this year than last, with demand projected to be strong during the upcoming flu season. "We can expect production to be over 100 million doses," Dr. Gregory Wallace said at a meeting of...

ACIP nudges health workers toward influenza vaccination: so far, no consequences for refusal.(News)(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices )
July 15, 2004... ATLANTA -- In an effort to put teeth behind its current recommendations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices drafted a separate statement calling on health care workers and their...

Patient privacy rights for abortions, adoptions addressed by delegates.(News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... At their annual meeting, AMA delegates also addressed federal efforts to acquire private medical records of patients, including those who have had miscarriages or abortions. A resolution calls on the AMA to convey to the Bush...

Delegates reject denying care to trial lawyers: 'infamous' resolution tossed.(News)
July 15, 2004... CHICAGO -- Everyone deserves medical care--even trial lawyers. The American Medical Association's House of Delegates embraced this idea by swiftly rejecting a controversial resolution that sparked the ire of physicians and caused a public...

Exenatide looks good for treating type 2 diabetes: phase III data on injectable compound.(News)
July 15, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Synthetic exendin4 improved blood glucose control and was associated with weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes who were inadequately controlled on metformin, sulfonylureas, or a combination of the two, Dr. Ralph...

Third world disease: our problem.(Guest Editorial)
July 15, 2004... As part of our work on expanding health care in Africa, my wife and I were invited to visit Queen Elizabeth's Central Hospital in Malawi. It is the leading hospital in the country, and it is one of the most amazing places in the world for me....

Is hand-carried ultrasound now an essential extension of the physical exam?(Pro & Con)
July 15, 2004... [YES] It's a no-brainer, really. The use of hand-carried ultrasound to perform a focused echocardiographic exam at bedside or in the outpatient clinic takes only 2-3 minutes in the hands of a cardiologist or primary care physician...

Euglycemia improves memory in type 2 diabetes: rosiglitazone, glyburide.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Improved glycemic control appears to improve working memory in patients with type 2 diabetes, Dr. Mark W.J. Strachan reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. A relatively large...

Topiramate eases diabetic neuropathy: Canadian MDs surveyed.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Canadian physicians who use topiramate for diabetic neuropathy report that 64% of their patients are "very much" improved by the treatment and another 27% are "minimally" improved, according to a small survey. The...

Organ shortage is obstacle to islet cell transplants: experimental procedure.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... BOSTON -- Shortage of donor organs is a major barrier not only to pancreas transplants but also to the emergence of islet cell transplantation as a treatment for diabetes, Dr. Gordon C. Weir said at the annual meeting of the American...

UNOS board considering new lung allocation system: about 550 a year die on waiting list.(Clinical Rounds)(United Network for Organ Sharing )
July 15, 2004... BOSTON -- Desperately ill patients would no longer wait their turn in line for new lungs under a complex and controversial proposal for revamping the United Network for Organ Sharing lung allocation system. If the proposal is approved,...

Increase in posttransplant survival with inhaled aerosolized cyclosporine: small, randomized, double-blind trial.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- An aerosolized cyclosporine preparation that patients inhaled following pulmonary transplantation was associated with a fourfold reduction in mortality, compared with patients who received a placebo, Dr. Aldo Iacono reported...

FDA panel backs first artificial lumbar disk: unanimous, with conditions.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The first-ever artificial spinal disk cleared a significant hurdle with the unanimous backing of the Food and Drug Administration's Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel. The panel voted 8-0 for conditional...

Patient satisfaction higher with artificial disks than fusion: speeds return to work.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Results from a head-to-head trial suggest that patients are more satisfied with artificial disk replacement than with circumferential lumbar fusion surgery, perhaps because of the rapid recovery afforded by the...

Exercise is best prescription for chronic back pain: overcoming psychological hurdles.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Exercise is one of the few things that the evidence suggests almost universally helps chronic low back pain. So, how do you get a patient who has been sedentary and hurting to adopt what is going to be a major lifestyle...

FDA to review claims of OA prevention: glucosamine, chondroitin.(Clinical Rounds)(osteoarthritis. )
July 15, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administration could decide by September whether dietary supplement makers can claim that glucosamine and/or chondroitin help reduce the risk of osteoarthritis. That is when the agency has agreed to act...

Bilberry extract for night vision.(Alternative medicine: an evidence-based approach)
July 15, 2004... * Extracts of bilberries are widely used for improving vision and preventing ocular disease. * Trials have shown mixed results for efficacy, but a systematic review has recommended further study. History of Use Legend has it...

Levetiracetam may prevent hard-to-treat transformed-migraine attacks: triptan-refractory headaches.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Levetiracetam is a promising drug for the prevention of attacks of transformed migraine, a notoriously tough-to-treat and common form of chronic daily headache, Dr. Alan M. Rapoport said at the annual meeting of the American...

Weather triggers migraine in half of patients: change in pattern.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Weather affects about half of migraine patients, making it as important a trigger as chocolate and red wine, Dr. Marcelo E. Bigal reported at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. In his study, 77...

Most tension headache diagnoses meet migraine criteria: sumatriptan relieves attacks.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Of patients with self-described or physician-diagnosed tension or stress headache, 88% actually turned out to meet International Headache Society diagnostic criteria for migraine or probable migraine in a large study, Dr....

Studies confirm disparities in pain treatment: racial/gender/age differences documented.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Women, minorities, and the elderly do not get treated for pain as well or as often as white males do, speakers said at a special session of the annual meeting of the American Pain Society. Inadequate treatment of pain...

Minorities lack access to opioid medication.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... Even when a minority patient gets a proper prescription for pain medication, there can be obstacles, Dr. Green said. A survey of Michigan pharmacies showed that those pharmacies located in predominantly minority neighborhoods are much...

Malaria surveillance.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... A total of 1,337 cases of malaria were reported in the United States and its territories in 2002, representing a 3.3% decrease from 2001, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases, 141 were acquired in...

'Old' heart beats waiting list.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Receiving a heart transplant from a donor aged 40 years or older is preferable to remaining on the transplant waiting list, even though it carries nearly three times the risk of early death than does receiving a heart from a donor younger...

Psoriasis in African Americans.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... About 1.3% or 300,000 African Americans report having a diagnosis of psoriasis, according to data from a large telephone survey commissioned by the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF). Those data show that psoriasis is less common in...

Returning soldiers may have blast injury to brain: possibly undiagnosed.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Clinicians across the country are facing the realities of the war in Iraq, as veterans with concussive blast brain injuries rejoin their communities. These soldiers are also giving researchers valuable insight into the...

VA learning module details treatment of traumatic brain inquiry.(Clinical Rounds)
July 15, 2004... Physicians caring for veterans with traumatic brain injuries now have some help from the experts. The Departments of Veterans Affairs has released a new independent study course on traumatic brain injury. The 155-page document is...

Sanctura.(New & Approved)
July 15, 2004... (trospium chloride, Indevus) An antispasmodic, antimuscarinic agent for the treatment of overactive bladder with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. The fifth anticholinergic to become available for...

Vidaza.(New & Approved)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... (azacitidine for injectable suspension, Pharmion) A cytotoxic agent for myelodysplastic syndromes. * Recommended Dosage: 75 mg/[m.sup.2] subcutaneously daily for 7 days every 4 weeks; dosage is increased if no benefits are seen after...

Psoriasis patients can have at-home care with new Tx: enbrel approved.(Rx)
July 15, 2004... Watch out, psoriasis, there's a "new" treatment in town--officially. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the biologic agent etanercept (Enbrel) for the treatment of chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients aged...

Oral antidiabetic agents.(Drugs, Pregnancy And Lactation)
July 15, 2004... Insulin remains the preferred method for treatment of type 2 diabetes during pregnancy, providing the glycemic control required to prevent the severe birth defects, toxicity, pregnancy losses, and complications associated with poorly...

Mammography in need of trained interpreters: decline in screening facilities.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Increasing the number of medical personnel who can interpret mammograms is the most immediate way to reduce the number of women who lose their lives to breast cancer, according to a report issued last month by the Institute of...

Is testing affected relatives a barrier to breast cancer screening? BRCA 1/2 screening.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- To improve the accuracy of testing for BRCA 1/2 gene mutations, many centers ask women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer to first contact and convince the relative with the disease to undergo a testing for the...

Depression found to predict late chronic mastectomy pain: Johns Hopkins survey.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Persistent, disabling pain following a mastectomy is not related to the type of procedure a woman has, but it may be related to depression, Ian Kudel, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the...

Does ovarian ca screening help or hurt quality of life? Prospective study.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Women at increased risk for ovarian cancer who undergo screening for the disease could experience either a positive or negative impact on their quality of life, and physicians who suggest screening to these patients should...

Endometriosis increases risk of ovarian cancer, regardless of parity: long-term OC use reduce risk.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- Women with endometriosis had an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared with women without endometriosis, even after adjustment for oral contraceptive use, number of children, tubal ligation, and family history...

Cardiovascular disease prevention for women.(Clinical Guidelines For Family Physicians)
July 15, 2004... Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. More than haft a million women die each year of cardiovascular disease in this country, which exceeds the number of CVD deaths in men and is greater than the next seven...

MRI predicts women's coronary event risk: new global perfusion index.(Women's Health)(Magnetic Resonance Imaging )
July 15, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion imaging appears to be the study of choice for assessing cardiac event risk in women with symptoms of ischemic heart disease, Dr. Mark Doyle said at the annual meeting of the American College...

Anemia may raise women's CV risk: low-risk women studied.(Women's Health)(cardiovascular )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Women who have chest pain but no evidence of myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure are at high risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes if they also are found to have low hemoglobin levels, reported Dr. Christopher B. Arant of the...

Fear not estrogen exposure in lupus patients: standard OC avoidance too cautious.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptives)
July 15, 2004... NEW YORK -- Women of reproductive age with systemic lupus erythematosus are being unnecessarily discouraged from taking oral contraceptives, Dr. Jill Buyon asserted at a rheumatology meeting sponsored by New York University. "As long as...

Hormone therapy safe in lupus, despite increase in mild flares: SELENA trial.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... New York -- Hormone therapy in menopausal women is associated with mild exacerbations of systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity but can be safely continued if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, Dr Jill Buyon said at a rheumatology...

Mothers with lupus have smaller infants, more stillbirths: trend toward improvement.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Women with systemic lupus erythematosus are more likely than other women to experience a stillbirth and to give birth before term, despite recent advances in lupus treatment, Dr. Robert Sokol reported in a series of posters...

Misinformation on EC thwarts prescribing: ethical qualms contribute to low use.(Women's Health)(emergency contraception)
July 15, 2004... TORONTO -- Misinformation about the correct use of emergency contraception and its side effects may be contributing to the low prescribing rate for this medication, Dr. Justine Wu said at the annual conference of the Society of Teachers of...

Try serial approach for postpartum hemorrhage: may avoid hysterectomy.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... NEW YORK -- A sequence of mechanical, medical, and conservative approaches to postpartum hemorrhage can usually stop the bleeding without resorting to hysterectomy, Dr. George Saade said at an obstetrics symposium sponsored by Columbia...

Trial of labor after prior cesarean delivery is relatively safe: counsel patients about choices.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- The risks associated with attempting a vaginal birth after a prior cesarean delivery are important, but they are small and don't necessarily preclude an attempted VBAC, findings from a large prospective study suggest. ...

Metformin improves PCOS pregnancy outcomes: more trials urgently needed.(Women's Health)(polycystic ovary syndrome)
July 15, 2004... MONTREAL -- Despite ongoing debate about the safety of metformin use during pregnancy, patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome do better with it than without it, Dr. Sonia Malik said at the 18th World Congress on Fertility and Sterility....

No birth defects seen when women given metformin: women took drug in pregnancy for PCOS.(Women's Health)(polycystic ovary syndrome)
July 15, 2004... CHICAGO -- Infants born to women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are taking metformin are not significantly different from their peers in terms of length and weight over the first year of life, said Dr. Charles J. Glueck, director of the...

Early low PAPP-A associated with multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes: strongest association with IUGR.(Women's Health)
July 15, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- A low first-trimester serum level of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A is an independent risk factor for several adverse obstetric outcomes, Dr. Lorraine Dugoff reported at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Early dexamethasone treatment impairs cognition: reconsider routine use.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... Early postnatal dexamethasone therapy should not be used routinely to prevent or treat chronic lung disease because of its significant adverse effects on cognitive and neuromotor function at school age, reported Dr. Tsu F. Yeh, a pediatrician...

Elevated ABC is marker for increased risk of pneumonia: febrile infants.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- An elevated absolute band count could be evidence of pneumonia in a febrile infant who shows no signs of respiratory disease, Dr. Shari L. Platt said at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research. A...

Palivizumab protection against RSV better in real world than in trials: fewer hospitalizations.(Children's Health)(respiratory syncytial virus)
July 15, 2004... MIAMI -- Postmarketing experience with palivizumab indicates that the monoclonal antibody actually prevents more hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus than it did in clinical trials prior to its approval in 1998. "The...

Looks are deceiving with pediatric skin tumors: prognosis better or worse than you think.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Be vigilant when assessing pediatric tumors, because their appearance can easily deceive you, Dr. Ronald Hansen advised at a meeting sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. He called the following tumors...

Food allergens found in kids' skin products: milk, tree nuts, others.(Children's Health)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- More than a quarter of over-the-counter skin care products for children contain commonly allergenic foods, Dr. Kelly K. Newhall reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,...

Topical steroids urged for girls' lichen sclerosus: impact on carcinoma risk unknown.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Approximately 10%-15% of all cases of lichen sclerosus occur in children, with girls outnumbering boys 10:1, Dr. Sheryll Vanderhooft said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. The clinical features of...

Some surprising reasons behind antiobesity tactics: TV, soda consumption.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... BELLEVUE, WASH. -- The solutions to the obesity epidemic are clear, but some of the conclusions researchers are drawing about its causes are unexpected. The obesity epidemic seems to have several causes, including increased soda...

Anger problems associated with weight gain in teens: three-year study.(Children's Health)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Teenagers with problems managing anger are more likely to be overweight than those who manage anger appropriately, William H. Mueller, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at a conference on cardiovascular disease...

Insulin, TSH levels possible markers for resistance to weight loss: small study.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. --Early testing for biomarkers could replace waiting for failure, to identify obese children who need extra, individualized help in a weight-loss program, results of a small study suggest. Dr. Amrit Bhangoo found...

Progressive precocious puberty is not common: just defining it is difficult.(Children's Health)
July 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The controversy over how early is too early for puberty to start in girls continues, hut one specialist has concluded that very few of the girls referred to him for this condition genuinely had progressive precocious puberty....

When ADHD drives teens.(Clinical Capsules)(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Adolescents with ADHD drive much more erratically when they take three daily doses of immediate-acting methylphenidate than when they take a single dose of the long-acting formulation of the drug, according to Daniel J. Cox, Ph.D., of the...

Iron deficit and infection.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Zinc protoporphyrin levels were significantly associated with infection, which suggests that infection may complicate poor nutrition in nutritionally at-risk children by affecting iron status, Rebecca Crowell of the University of Connecticut,...

Intrapartum antibiotics.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Newborns with ampicillin-resistant infections were significantly more likely to have mothers who received antibiotics for at least 24 hours prior to delivery, said Dr. Alison C. Rentz and her colleagues at the University of Utah, Salt Lake...

Mental disorders in obese.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Consider a psychiatric component when treating obese children, said Dr. Gilbert Vila of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, and associates. In a study of 155 obese children aged 5-17 years, 88 (57%) had a DSM-IV diagnosis. At least...

Family physician to head AMA.(Policy & Practice)(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Delegates to the American Medical Association elected Mississippi family physician Dr. J. Edward Hill as their president-elect at their annual meeting in June. "It is my privilege to serve the AMA as we advocate for our patients," Dr. Hill...

Spending slowdown.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Physician care continues to he the slowest growing category in health care spending, the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) reported in a study. Physician spending in 2003 increased 5.1%, compared with 6.5% in 2002. HSC attributed...

Court upholds assisted suicide.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Physicians in Oregon may continue to prescribe lethal doses of medication to terminally ill patients, a federal appeals court ruled. Specifically, the court said Attorney General John Ashcroft cannot sanction or hold physicians criminally...

Plans address racial disparities.(Policy & Practice)(study of health insurance plans)
July 15, 2004... Health plans are becoming more proactive in collecting data on the race and ethnicity of their patients, according to a study sponsored by America's Health Insurance Plans and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. A survey was sent to 302 plans...

Rx reimportation bill introduced.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Members of Congress are considering yet another bill that would legalize the reimportation of drugs from Canada and several European Union countries. This one (S. 2493), introduced by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), would allow the importation of...

PBMs are not likely to see federal regulation: despite litigation flurry.(Practice Trends)(pharmacy benefit management)
July 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The largest unregulated sector of the health care market is bound to stay that way for some time to come, a health care lawyer said at the annual National Managed Health Care Congress. A number of lawsuits have been brought...

Medicare competitive bidding scheme questioned: prescription drugs.(Practice Trends)
July 15, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Medicare's program to use competitive bidding to purchase prescription drugs under Part B coverage has raised a few eyebrows at a meeting of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council. "In rural areas like New Mexico, it's...

The rest of your life: getting home on time.(Practice Trends)
July 15, 2004... The way Dr. Jennifer Sudarsky sees it, one of the biggest challenges to being a physician is the quest to get home on time, whatever "on time" means for you. "It's all such a struggle," said the 40-year-old family physician who holds two...

Tort reform needs creative alternatives: injured get 40%.(Practice Trends)
July 15, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- A 25% reduction in malpractice premiums would do little to curb the medical liability crisis, Dr. Robert Berenson, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, Washington, said at the annual meeting of the American College of...

Diabetes management Web site.(FYI)(www.betterdiabetescare.nih.gov.)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The National Diabetes Education Program has launched a Web site to help health care providers implement evidence-based, patient-centered care to manage diabetes. For more information, go to www.betterdiabetescare.nih.gov.

PDA pneumonia calculator.(FYI)(Personal Digital Assistant)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released its first clinical decision-making tool. The Pneumonia Severity Index Calculator is an interactive application for personal digital assistants to help physicians determine whether...

Physician engagement.(FYI)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is offering a free video highlighting physician engagement in the new accreditation process. "Shared Visions-New Pathways" is available at www.jcaho.org (click on...

Tools for chronic pain.(FYI)(American Pain Foundation)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The American Pain Foundation's TARGET Chronic Pain initiative is offering free tools to improve communication between patients and clinicians. The TARGET Chronic Pain Notebook helps patients track pain and the TARGET Chronic Pain Card...

Online alcohol abuse CME.(FYI)(www.alcoholcme.com )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... www.alcoholcme.com provides free online continuing medical education on aspects of alcohol abuse. The Web site was developed by Clinical Tools Inc. and funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

ADHD Guidelines Pocketcard.(FYI)(Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has released version 2.0 of the "Managing Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder GUIDELINES Pocketcard for 2004." Cards or versions for handheld devices (Palm and Pocket PC formats)...

Free addiction CME.(FYI)(www.addictioncme.com)(online medical education )(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The Web site www.addictioncme.com offers several online continuing medical education courses for free. The courses focus on opioid addiction issues and count toward American Medical Association credit. The Web site was developed by Clinical...