November 2008

(11/26/2008)  --  A recently released survey by the Boston-based Physicians' Foundation paints a distressing picture. It describes widespread unhappiness with the current practice environment among primary care physicians. So much so that nearly half of those surveyed said they planned to cut back on their patient panels or leave practice entirely within the next three years -- a prospect that would exacerbate existing access problems for health care consumers. More

(11/26/2008)  --  Both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, and the AAFP have released documents encouraging physicians and other clinicians to support breastfeeding. Each document cites a growing body of evidence that breastfeeding benefits the health of both mothers and their infants. More

(11/26/2008)  --  The U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee has sided with America's physicians in a tug of war with HHS regarding its proposed Oct. 1, 2011, deadline for implementing a new codes set for outpatient diagnosis coding. More

(11/25/2008)  --  The dramatic increase in emergency department use during the past several years has been driven, in large part, by the chronic shortage of primary care physicians, according to a study in the Oct. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA. More

(11/25/2008)  --  The AAFP and other primary care groups continued their winning streak in the house of medicine when the AMA House of Delegates recently voted to support several measures designed to encourage physicians and physicians-in-training to choose careers in primary care. The measures included calls to enhance payment for primary care physician services and decrease debt loads. More

(11/21/2008)  --  The chronic shortage of primary care physicians threatens to slow and considerably complicate health care reform efforts on the state level, forcing states to redouble their recruitment and retention efforts. That was one of the major themes to emerge from the AAFP's state legislative conference, Nov. 14-15 in St. Louis. Several speakers at the conference described various ways states are bolstering their primary care physician workforces. More

(11/19/2008)  --  The FDA reported Nov. 12 that, based on the results of clinical trials, no clear association between bisphosphonates and serious or nonserious atrial fibrillation, or AF, exists. The agency said, however, it would continue to track postmarketing reports of AF in patients who have taken these drugs. (Discuss this story on the AAFP News Now bulletin board.) More

(11/19/2008)  --  Data released recently by the Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, show that first-year enrollment at U.S. medical schools in 2008 totaled more than 18,000 students, the highest enrollment in history. However, although this development might mean the country gets more physicians, it doesn't necessarily translate into a big boost for family medicine or primary care, says one physician workforce expert. More

(11/19/2008)  --  The Academy stood up for rural family physicians recently when it voiced strong objection to four potential alternatives to the current payment locality structure that CMS uses in the Medicare physician fee schedule. More

(11/19/2008)  --  Beginning in January, Medicare beneficiaries in Arizona and Utah will have the opportunity to make health history by participating in a personal health record, or PHR, pilot program. HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt introduced the Medicare PHR Choice Pilot during a press conference Nov. 12 in Phoenix. More

(11/19/2008)  --  The AAFP has long-standing policy on tobacco use, including a recommendation that urges family physicians to collaborate with other health professionals to counsel patients who smoke or use smokeless tobacco to quit. Now, that recommendation could become easier to follow, thanks to a measure introduced at the recent interim meeting of the AMA House of Delegates that calls for inclusion of prompts to ask about tobacco use in electronic health records, or EHRs. More

(11/18/2008)  --  The chair of the Senate Finance Committee has unveiled a call to action for health care reform that relies heavily on primary care and preventive services to improve quality, enhance access and reduce the overall cost of health care in the United States. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., unveiled the plan during a Capitol Hill press briefing on Nov. 12. More

(11/14/2008)  --  Do you have a problem with a third-party payer that needs your prompt attention? AAFP members can take immediate action on their most pressing issues with a simple download of letter templates from the Academy's Web site. Four new letters are among more than a dozen letter templates offered in the "Private Sector Advocacy" section of the Web site. More

(11/12/2008)  --  According to a recently released study, many health care leaders support a revision in the Medicare payment system to provide more money for primary care and the patient-centered medical home. That's among the findings of a survey conducted on behalf of the Commonwealth Fund and in partnership with Modern Healthcare. More

(11/12/2008)  --  Congress should require drug and device manufacturers to reveal their financial ties with physicians and other health care providers as a way of discouraging inappropriate financial arrangements between the entities, according to a series of recommendations recently adopted by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC. More

(11/12/2008)  --  The AAFP and other primary care specialty groups recently scored a huge win when the AMA House of Delegates threw its support behind the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH. More

(11/12/2008)  --  Even as the federal government and the AAFP focus their resources on ensuring that America's physicians get onboard with electronic health records, or EHRs, some American consumers are wrestling with confidentiality concerns about the technology. More

(11/12/2008)  --  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, recently issued revised recommendations on screening for colorectal cancer and on behavioral counseling to prevent sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. More

(11/12/2008)  --  As your practice gears up for the influenza season, are you forgetting something important? In addition to vaccinating as many patients as possible, it's imperative that your office staff and you be vaccinated against the disease. Without vaccination, those working in your practice are more likely to stay home sick with the flu or -- even worse -- come in and spread their sickness to others, including vulnerable patients. That's a significant patient safety issue. More (Members Only)

(11/11/2008)  --  CMS recently announced that, tentatively, it would pay physician practices participating in its upcoming medical home demonstration project a per-member, per-month management fee of $40 or more. In addition, participating practices would be eligible to receive a share of any cost savings the demonstration project might generate. More

(11/05/2008)  --  The Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition, or CIIC, has posted new influenza vaccination videos aimed at family physicians and other health care professionals, as well as videos intended for patients and their caregivers, on its Web site. More

(11/05/2008)  --  Physicians who participate in Medicare and depend on computer-generated faxes to transmit prescriptions to pharmacies can breathe a collective sigh of relief. CMS has extended its deadline for banning faxed prescriptions by three years, moving the Jan. 1, 2009, deadline to Jan. 1, 2012. More

(11/05/2008)  --  For decades, research has demonstrated a link between depression and coronary heart disease, or CHD. Various studies have found that the prevalence of depression in patients hospitalized for certain cardiac problems and in community-dwelling patients with CHD is considerably higher than in their counterparts without CHD. Accordingly, the American Heart Association, or AHA, recently issued a "science advisory" on screening, referral and treatment of depression in patients with CHD. More

(11/05/2008)  --  Medicare's fee-for-service payment structure has created a disjointed and fragmented payment system that discourages care coordination and the provision of primary care services. That was one of the main messages delivered by an expert panel during a forum on health care quality and the health delivery system held Oct. 31 in Washington. More

(11/04/2008)  --  Your Oct. 29 posting -- AAFP Challenges Wisdom of Adopting ICD-10 is the best article I've seen in ages describing the downside of ICD-10. Thank you for the realistic plea to spare primary care physicians. I thought I would mention a serious unintended consequence of ICD-10 policy. What is never mentioned in the conversation about ICD-10 is the potentially even greater impact on physicians who are using electronic health records, or EHRs. More (Members Only)

(11/04/2008)  --  The AAFP's federal political action committee, FamMedPAC, has emerged as a powerful force during the current election cycle. It has raised and contributed nearly $800,000 on behalf of congressional candidates who support primary care and family medicine issues. More

(11/03/2008)  --  The Texas AFP announces the candidacy of Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., of San Antonio, for AAFP speaker. More