http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now.html The family physician's trusted source for news -- ANN is the official news publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians. en-us Copyright 2009 American Academy of Family Physicians http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20091125health-it-bill.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20091125health-it-bill.html 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. ann@aafp.org Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:35:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/resident-student-focus/20091125med-econ-trng.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/resident-student-focus/20091125med-econ-trng.html 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. bbein@aafp.org Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:25:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/news-in-brief/20091125wkly-nws-brfs.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/news-in-brief/20091125wkly-nws-brfs.html 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. ann@aafp.org Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:25:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091124plavix-interacts.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091124plavix-interacts.html 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. ann@aafp.org Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:10:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/resident-student-focus/20091124medschoolenroll.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/resident-student-focus/20091124medschoolenroll.html 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. bbein@aafp.org Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:55:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/professional-issues/20091124cpsdataworkforce.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/professional-issues/20091124cpsdataworkforce.html 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. bbein@aafp.org Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/practice-management/20091123pcmhdemoprojects.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/practice-management/20091123pcmhdemoprojects.html 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. jarvantes@aafp.org Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:35:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/cme-lifelong-learning/20091123medjournalform.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/cme-lifelong-learning/20091123medjournalform.html 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. ann@aafp.org Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:20:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20091120sgrhousebill.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/government-medicine/20091120sgrhousebill.html The AAFP has hailed House passage of a bill that would provide a permanent fix for the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula as a victory for both Medicare patients and their physicians. jarvantes@aafp.org Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:15:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/practice-management/20091119cmsextendsperiod.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/practice-management/20091119cmsextendsperiod.html CMS has extended Medicare's 2010 provider participation enrollment end date to Jan. 31, 2010. This gives physicians currently participating in Medicare or considering participation in 2010 one month beyond the normal Dec. 31 cutoff to make a participation decision. ann@aafp.org Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:00 CST AAFP News Now