ACP Internist / March 2008
Cover Features
The front-office bottleneck: schedules, phones and refills
Third in a six-part series on small practice issues
ACP’s Center for Practice Innovation found that about half of the practices it observed as part of its quality improvement project had problems with phone communication, scheduling and the prescription refill process. The good news is that the bottleneck can be loosened with some relatively simple changes.
March ’08
Internists taking primary care to the streets
Practicing medicine changes when homeless patients don’t have a phone, food or access to first aid
Free health care programs have been converting buses and vans into clinics on wheels as they discover that mobile care is an effective way to reach homeless patients.
March ’08
Perspectives
Mindful Medicine, by Jerome Groopman, FACP, and Pamela Hartzband, FACP
Case study: Patient’s doubts about diagnosis prompt a second opinion
March ’08
Ethical Dilemmas, by Lachlan Forrow, FACP
Case study: Cultural differences complicate a terminal cancer diagnosis
March ’08
Editor’s Note
Working towards health care reform one step at a time
March ’08
Letters to the Editor
Addressing credentials in internal medicine, and taking issue with cosmetic procedures
March ’08
Cartoon Caption Contest: March’s winning entry
March ’08
Practical Genomics, by W. Gregory Feero, MD, PhD
Fleshing out the debate over meat from cloned animals
March ’08
Practice Management
Practice Rx
Medicare’s vaccination payments covered in a variety of ways
March ’08
PMC Tips
Follow a few simple steps to ensure safety
March ’08
Disease Management
Diabetes project narrows gap between theory and practice
Following a successful first phase, the College’s diabetes programs reach out to a wider audience of members, residents and patients
March ’08
Visits can be more productive when patients set the agenda
First in a three-part series: Motivational interviewing is one technique for engaging patients and developing strategies that work
March ’08
Physician Profile
Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey, MACP
A woman in medicine reflects on philanthropic leadership
March ’08
End-of-life Care
New end-of-life guidelines recommend earlier palliative care
The College’s new guidelines recommend that clinicians regularly assess end-of-life patients for symptoms of pain, dyspnea and depression, and use proven therapies to treat these conditions
March ’08
Business of Medicine
Dispensing drugs on site may help with patient compliance
March ’08
Technology
Web Watch
Site shifts unused medical supplies from the haves to the have-nots
What do an X-ray machine in Oregon and a shower chair in Bellmore, N.Y. have in common? Both are available for free on a Web site that matches U.S. donors of medical equipment to needy recipients
March ’08
The Campaign Trail
Presidential candidates tackle problem of health care costs
March ’08
Regulatory Review
Heparin, saline solutions recalled for possible contamination
March ’08
Special Focus
Rosiglitazone drama has internists scratching their heads
E. Victor Adlin, FACP, an endocrinologist at Temple University School of Medicine, discusses how the rosiglitazone drama has affected internists’ prescribing habits
March ’08
CollegeWatch
Washington Perspective
Will the 2008 elections be the turning point for health care?
March ’08
President’s Message
ACPNET brings continuing medical education into the clinic
March ’08
Call for fall 2008 Board of Governors resolutions
March '08
CME Bulletin Board
.Chapter Meetings
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