April 2018
When visits become ‘on the record’
With recording technology becoming ubiquitous, more patients are recording their encounters with physicians, sometimes without their knowledge.
Be proactive about managing hepatitis B
Reports and other guidance on both hepatitis B virus prevention and treatment all have reprised a common theme: Clearly vulnerable individuals are too often missed.
Teach-back
Reflection on the past year as ACP president has taught lessons on advocacy and the scope of medicine, among other lessons.
It's time for doctors to say ‘never again’ to gun violence
Because the public trusts physicians on matters affecting their health, doctors can contribute so much to the fight for commonsense gun policy reforms. Learn how.
The role of a lifetime in medical education
Standardized patients are used during medical school to ensure physicians develop competencies in communication and physical examination skills.
New internal medicine residency gains foothold in Nepal
Patan Hospital of Nepal, a tertiary-level referral center that treats nearly 320,000 outpatients and 20,000 inpatients each year, began an internal medicine residency program last year.
Pneumococcal vaccine recommendations can be unclear
While most physicians surveyed about current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations responded that they found them to be very clear or somewhat clear, when tested with questions about the recommendations and several case scenarios, many of the survey respondents answered incorrectly.
New Medicare identification cards begin rolling out in April
CMS will begin mailing new cards with Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs) to all beneficiaries. Practices are urged to remind patients to look out for their new cards in the mail and to be sure to bring them to their next appointments.
First blood test approved to evaluate concussion
This column reviews details on recent recalls, warnings, and approvals.
Is that thing on?
This issue covers patients who record physician visits, early interventions for hepatitis B, and the use of standardized patients in medical education.
MKSAP Quiz: Worsening headaches
A 26-year-old woman is evaluated for progressively worsening headaches that began intermittently 6 months ago and became daily 3 months ago. The patient describes bilateral “vise-like” pain that is steady, moderate in intensity, and unaffected by physical activity. She also has experienced brief, temporal, sharp pains and a few episodes of transient binocular visual dimming. Following a physical exam, funduscopy, MRI, and lumbar puncture, what is the most appropriate treatment?
Keep it simple for patient portal success
Experts recommend patient portals that implement a more stripped-down approach, with the focus falling on one or two straightforward components such as streamlining appointments and filling prescriptions.
Reducing overuse and misuse in medical care
Proceedings of the 2017 American College of Physicians International Forum