ACP InternistSM - November 2008
Featured Articles
Women's Health
Gender gap increases women's heart risks
Nearly half the time, the first clue a physician gets that a woman has heart disease is that she drops dead. Updated guidelines now dictate physicians should first screen for a woman's risk factors for heart disease by age 20.
Patient Management
'Gently does it,' caring for adults with autism
With autism rates at 1 in 150, you can be absolutely sure you have patients with autism in your practice. Practical tips ease transitions from pediatric care into adulthood, and easier ways to examine, care for and understand autistic patients.
Rural medicine
Primary care works in cooperative, close-knit North Dakota
Eccentricities and efficiencies make North Dakota rise to the top quartiles of health care rankings for access, quality, use, equity and outcomes.
Perspectives
Editor’s Note
A digest of this month's issue, including the launching of our new Web site, women and heart disease, and how the "nice" people in North Dakota achieved better health care through cooperation.
Mindful Medicine
Anchoring errors ensure when diagnoses get lost in translation
In two cases, a patient's use of key words led to anchoring errors in diagnosing an abdominal aortic aneurism and a classic case of intermittent claudication.
Ethical Dilemmas
'Futile to whom' challenges views on reasonable recovery
A reader responds to a previous column that addresses how health care providers handle life-saving medical treatment despite no hope for recovery.
Test Yourself
From the MKSAP Case Studies
A 50-year-old black man with ischemic cardiomyopathy presents for a routine follow-up. His medical history is significant for biventricular pacemaker/cardioverter-defibrilator placement and diabetes mellitus. Which medication should be added?
Practical Genomics
Simple family history acts as a genetic test for skin cancer
Melanoma rate shave been rising, and while genetic tests are available for high-risk patients, a family history is a better way to identify patients who need potentially life-saving surveillance.
President's Message
Strengthen primary care to heal the U.S. health care system
Internists need to keep elected officials on-track for reforming health care.
Washington Perspective
What will it take to fix the broken reimbursement system?
Align physician reimbursement to compensate for the best possible patient care coordination.
ACP Highlights
What's new in other College publications
Practice Management
Billing for interactions with a patient's family, caregivers
More than 44 million Americans care for an adult family member or friend. Physicians often discuss patient care with these people and may bill appropriately.
CPII Tips
To catch a thief (before theft happens)
Don't let employee theft happen to you. Simple internal controls and checks prevent temptation.
Staff Columns
Web Watch
Podcast engages medical bloggers in a virtual talk show
An internist/blogger creates a talk-show format for his podcasts to link internists with one another.
FDA Review
FDA bans dozens of generics from entering U.S. for quality
The latest recalls, warnings, label changes and approvals from the Food and Drug Administration.
Internist Archives Quick Links
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