https://immattersacp.org/archives/2020/10/latest-updates-on-acps-priorities-initiatives.htm

Latest updates on ACP's priorities, initiatives

ACP Spotlight offers readers a look at ACP's current top priorities and initiatives, as well as highlights from our e-newsletter, ACP Internist Weekly.


ACP announces 2019-2020 Annual Report of the Executive Vice President

ACP's latest Annual Report of the Executive Vice President and CEO highlights ACP news and activities over the past year. ACP made significant progress on strategic initiatives and important goals that help support internists and advance the profession of internal medicine.

New immunization resources available

As part of its I Raise the Rates initiative, ACP has developed “Workflows to Promote Immunizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic” and “How to Safely Administer Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

These and other resources can be found in the Resources: Ambulatory Care Reopening and Recovery section of COVID-19: An ACP Physician's Guide. For additional information on immunizations, visit ACP's Adult Immunization Hub.

ACP supports the use of science to curb COVID-19, warns against interference

ACP released a statement in late August strongly supporting the use of science, based on the best available evidence, in the fight against COVID-19. Public health agencies should not be subjected to pressure or be influenced to issue policies that are not based on evidence and expert recommendations of their own scientists. As the ongoing pandemic is still a widespread public health emergency, clinical and public health guidance must be developed through a highly transparent process without any such interference.

ACP, AAFP issue joint guideline on non-low back pain in adults

Image by Staras
Image by Staras

Physicians should use topical NSAIDs, with or without menthol gel, as first line-therapy for acute pain from non-low back musculoskeletal injuries, according to a new evidence-based guideline.

The guideline, jointly developed by ACP and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), focused on non-low back pain and was published Aug. 18 by Annals of Internal Medicine. It also addressed use of oral NSAIDs, acetaminophen, acupressure, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, as well as avoidance of opioids.

ACP honors those lost to COVID-19

ACP extends gratitude to internal medicine physicians and ACP colleagues who served our profession and the health of their patients and lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A video message from ACP President Jacqueline Fincher, MD, MACP, can be viewed. Information about lost ACP members and colleagues can be submitted.

ACP and DynaMed® free ACP member access extended to 2023

DynaMed, a valuable benefit of ACP membership, is a leading evidence-based decision-support tool for use at the point of care. ACP continues to work closely with DynaMed editors to help make DynaMed the best comprehensive clinical content resource for internists. As of August 2020, ACP has peer-reviewed the Overview and Recommendations section of over 300 of the internal medicine topics most used by ACP members. DynaMed includes many features to ensure the best possible user experience, including ease of access and CME/MOC credit.

ICYMI: Highlights from ACP Internist Weekly

  • Honey superior to usual care for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 studies, nine of them exclusively pediatric, honey improved combined symptom score, cough frequency, and cough severity versus usual care. When the researchers combined studies to compare honey to dextromethorphan (two studies) and diphenhydramine (four studies), it was found to improve outcomes significantly more than the latter, but not the former. The study was published Aug. 18 by BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine and summarized in the Aug. 25 ACP Internist Weekly.
  • Checklist offers ways to improve communication during telemedicine visits with older patients. First and most important, clinicians must assume that older patients have at least mild hearing loss, according to the checklist, which was developed by physicians from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, published Aug. 11 by Annals of Internal Medicine, and summarized in the Aug. 11 ACP Internist Weekly. It includes numerous strategies that clinicians can use before and during telemedicine visits with older patients, regardless of their hearing status, health, or comfort with technology.

ACP Internist Weekly is an e-newsletter published every Tuesday. Subscribe online.