Introducing modern workforce "...

Introducing modern workforce "one-pagers"

Is recruiting more physicians the answer to the workforce issues facing family medicine? chiefly workforce studies have concluded that there are not enough primary care physicians. The hereafter of Family Medicine Project stake out by considering the part of family physicians rather than the number of family physicians. To help reevaluate workforce issues, the American Academy of Family Physicians commissioned a workforce thought by the Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care in Washington, DC in collaboration with the Center for the Health Professions in San Francisco.

This issue of American Family Physician nears the first of a series of nine reports addressing the study's issues These reports are intended to stimulate discussion about the nearest steps for the physician and health care workforce. The satiated text of the study can be ground on the Robert Graham Center Web site at http://www.graham-center.org. It is frisked that the series of "one-pagers" and the completed report will lead to debate and ultimately policies that excite family medicine's ability to reach its goals.

Issue highlights

Secondary prevention of CHD--Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of mortality in this nation The cover article by Ibrahim R Hanna, MD and Nanette K Wenger, MD discusses secondary preventive measures including lifestyle changes (eg exercise, smoking cessation), lipid lowering, weight reduction, grape-sugar control, and management of diabetes and hypertension. This article is single in kind in a series developed in collaboration with the American Heart Association.

Apparent life-threatening events--Many family physicians have meetinged frantic parents after a child has experienced what appears to be a life-threatening affair Apparent life-threatening event syndrome usually affects children younger than single in kind year, and about one half of patients are diagnosed with an underlying condition that explains the marked occurrence The article on apparent life-threatening affairs provides information to help the family physician evaluate an affected infant, discern the underlying cause, and determine whether further monitoring is needed

Summer threats: ticks and surfing injuries--Two articles in this issue are particularly important as summer approaches. Family physicians should consider tick-borne diseases when patients at hand with influenza-like symptoms. Early, accurate diagnosis can help interrupt significant morbidity. It is also important to advise patients about prevention of tick bites; a patient education handout written on the authors of this article is provided. For physicians in coastal areas, the article upon health issues for surfers will be valuable. Surfer are lying flat to injuries from their possess surfboard, as well as jellyfish, coral take ins and even sharks. Sun outlook and skin cancer risk is another inherent danger. A patient education handout forward safe surfing is included.

Focus clusters offer advice on enhancing AFP

The AFP patient education handouts can be useful tools for readers. We freshly conducted two focus groups to obtain feedback forward these and other sections of the journal. While the participating physicians had diverse opinions, chiefly of them like the patient education pieces, believe they are written at the appropriate even and use them in their practice. They also complimented the conciseness of the articles, the algorithms, and the practical satisfaction Participants offered advice about several departments, and we will use this information in our ongoing efforts to make AFP a valuable resource for everyone

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

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