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/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/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/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 http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091119smoke-stats.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091119smoke-stats.html The United States likely will fall well short of the Healthy People 2010 objective of reducing the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults to less than 12 percent. According to a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR, article released Nov. 13, the proportion of U.S. adults who were cigarette smokers declined from 24.1 percent in 1998 to 19.8 percent in 2007. However, the figure increased to 20.6 percent in 2008. ann@aafp.org Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:10:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091118breast-ca-recs.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20091118breast-ca-recs.html The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, has updated its recommendations for breast cancer screening with some significant changes, including a recommendation against routine screening mammography for women ages 40-49 who aren't at increased risk for breast cancer. ann@aafp.org Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 CST AAFP News Now http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/clinical-care-research/20091118harvard-h1n1-poll.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/clinical-care-research/20091118harvard-h1n1-poll.html The overwhelming majority of Americans who have tried to get vaccinated against the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus have been unable to do so, according to a recent poll from the Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston. Meanwhile, the CDC said on Nov. 9 that nearly 80 percent of seasonal flu vaccine already has been distributed to vaccine providers, and a surge in uptake may leave supplies short of demand. ann@aafp.org Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:55:00 CST AAFP News Now