http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public.html en-us Copyright 2012 American Academy of Family Physicians http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120208ppiasthma.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120208ppiasthma.html An acid reflux drug frequently prescribed for children with poorly controlled asthma does not improve asthma control if the child has no symptoms of acid reflux, according to a recent study published in JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association. In such cases, the treatment actually increases the risk of sore throat, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. "The study demonstrates that this recently advocated treatment is not effective and reminds us to focus on evidence-based practice in real-world settings," said family physician Kurt Elward, M.D., of Charlottesville, Va., the Academy's liaison to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. ann@aafp.org Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:10:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/201202032dbarcodes.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/201202032dbarcodes.html For family physicians who count immunizations as one of the many services they provide, the CDC is funding a two-dimensional (2D) vaccine barcoding pilot project that is scheduled to begin in August. The pilot is gearing up to begin installing scanning equipment and training participants, but there is still time to enroll. According to Erin Kennedy, D.V.M., M.P.H., a medical officer in the CDC's Immunization Services Division, "2D barcoded vaccines have a number of potential public health benefits, which include decreasing errors in recorded immunization information and improving patient safety." The sign-up period for the project, which will assess the challenges and determine best practices for documenting vaccine encounters using 2D barcodes, comes to a close in late February. mbrown@aafp.org Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:35:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120201immunrecs.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120201immunrecs.html More than a dozen changes are reflected in the CDC's 2012 child, adolescent and adult immunization schedules. Developed in conjunction with the AAFP and other groups, several of the 2012 changes are especially pertinent to family physicians, according to the AAFP's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Jamie Loehr, M.D., of Ithaca, N.Y. "Some of the most important changes for family physicians in the 2012 immunization schedules involve the tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine for pregnant women and health care personnel, as well as the hepatitis B vaccine for patients with diabetes," Loehr told AAFP News Now. Also noteworthy is the ACIP's call for the addition of quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine to the schedule for boys and young men. mbrown@aafp.org Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120130cognitivedecline.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120130cognitivedecline.html The increasing lifespan of humans poses significant societal challenges in the years ahead, not the least of which will be providing care for an ever-growing elderly population. Given that poor cognitive status is arguably the single most disabling condition seen in older adults, clinical investigators have long sought to better understand the decline of cognitive function that accompanies the aging process. Although previous research has clearly demonstrated marked cognitive deficits in adults ages 65 and older, the question of precisely when cognitive decline begins remains subject to debate. Now, a new study contends that cognitive decline can be detected in people as young as age 45. ann@aafp.org Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120118norovirus.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120118norovirus.html The CDC has announced the availability of a new toolkit designed to help health care professionals control and prevent norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in health care settings. According to the CDC, noroviruses are the most common causes of epidemic gastroenteritis, "responsible for at least 50 percent of all gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide and a major cause of foodborne illness." In the United States, an estimated 21 million illnesses attributable to norovirus infection occur each year. ann@aafp.org Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:15:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120118mortalitystudy.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120118mortalitystudy.html New research published in the January/February issue of Annals of Family Medicine suggests that patient access to certain attributes of primary care associated with the patient-centered medical home model of care are associated with lower individual mortality risk. Specifically, authors of "Primary Care Attributes and Mortality: A National Person-Level Study" found that patients who reported three attributes in their usual source of care -- comprehensiveness, patient-centeredness and enhanced access -- had lower mortality during up to six years follow-up than patients reporting less access to those three attributes. sporter@aafp.org Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:35:00 CST Health of the Public http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120116cancerscreen-lowrisk.html http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/health-of-the-public/20120116cancerscreen-lowrisk.html Even as the appropriateness of routine prostate-specific antigen-based (PSA-based) screening is being called into question by some experts, a significant proportion of patients and physicians reportedly remain loyal to this and other controversial cancer screening protocols. Meanwhile, for men who -- through whatever means -- are diagnosed as having early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer, investigators are looking to identify the best management strategies. ann@aafp.org Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:50:00 CST Health of the Public