AAFP News Now -- American Academy of Family Physicians

House Approves Legislation to Help Small Practices Purchase Health IT Systems

(11/25/2009) -- Congress has moved a step closer to approving a bill that would give small and solo physician practices the ability to obtain low-cost loans for the purchase of health information technology, or health IT, systems. More

Study: Medical Students Not Satisfied With Training in Health Systems, Medical Economics

Majority of Training Occurs During Residency, Say Family Medicine Educators

(11/25/2009) -- A University of Michigan study published recently in Academic Medicine says that although medical students are satisfied with their training in clinical decision-making and patient care, they are much less happy overall with their training in health care systems, especially the finer points of medical economics. More

News Briefs: Week of Nov. 23-27

(11/25/2009) -- This roundup includes the following news briefs: Procter & Gamble Recalls Nasal Spray; Study Shows High Blood Pressure Meds Effective in Treating Heart Disease; Federal Government Launches Health IT Blog; HHS Announces Grants to Support Health IT Workforce; and Free Resource Assists With HIPAA Transaction Standards Change. More

FDA Advises Against Use of Clopidogrel With Omeprazole, Other Drugs

Drug Interaction Reduces Effect of Anticlotting Medication

(11/24/2009) -- The FDA has issued a public health advisory warning consumers to avoid using the stomach acid reducer omeprazole, which is marketed in prescription and OTC formulations as Prilosec, with the anticlotting drug clopidogrel, which is marketed as Plavix. More

New Schools, Increased Class Sizes Boost U.S. Medical School Enrollment

But Number of Family Medicine Training Slots Still Lacking, Says Workforce Expert

(11/24/2009) -- First-year enrollment at the nation's medical schools grew again in 2009 because of the launch of four new schools in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania, as well as notable expansions in class sizes at a dozen more schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC. Despite the increases, however, one workforce expert says that the country's critical need for more family and other primary care physicians can't be met if family medicine residency programs continue to close. More

U.S. Census Data Indicate Physician Workforce May Be Smaller, Younger Than Expected, Study Says

(11/24/2009) -- A recent Dartmouth College study that used U.S. Census Bureau data to make projections about the physician workforce concluded that the future physician workforce will be smaller and younger than indicated by projections that used the AMA's Physician Masterfile data. If this proves true, shortages of primary care physicians will be worse than projected, as will patients' access to primary care, according to an AAFP physician workforce expert. More

Study Results Confirm PCMH Success in Improving Quality, Reducing Costs

(11/23/2009) -- The patient-centered medical home, or PCMH, continues to demonstrate its value to the health care system in terms of improving quality, enhancing access and reducing costs, according to a new study published by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, or PCPCC. More

New Form Designed to Help Medical Journals Avoid Conflicts of Interest

(11/23/2009) -- The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, or ICMJE, is testing a new uniform disclosure form for reporting potential conflicts of interest among authors. The 14 journals that are ICMJE members, including the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the New England Journal of Medicine, have adopted the form. More