Survey results: ACF works
Two years ago, the Academy decided to shower its members with CME on a different topic each year.
The campaign, the Annual Clinical Focus, aims to give members state-of-the-art skills and provides patient handouts.
The first ACF, in 1998, zeroed in on preventing, diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease. Supported by more than $2 million from pharmaceutical companies, the ACF sprouted videos, monographs, lectures and patient education handouts.
On the question of whether family physicians are updating their skills because of the ACF, the jury's now in.
The verdict: The ACF works.
Members listed their confidence levels on 10 items related to cardiovascular disease, before the ACF and toward its completion. About 1,100 members returned the October 1997 survey before receiving ACF materials; 277 members completed the survey in November 1998. The 1998 survey showed improvement on all 10 items (see chart).
Members also noted changes they'll make thanks to their ACF CME, such as treating hyperlipidemia more aggressively; regularly encouraging smoking cessation, daily exercise and proper diet; and using more ACE inhibitors and beta blockers.
The 1999 ACF, aimed at preventing and treating complications of diabetes, debuted at the 1998 AAFP Scientific Assembly.
Check out the ACF web page at http://www.aafp.org/acf for information on ACF offerings.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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