News Briefs: Week of July 27-31

This roundup includes the following news briefs:

FamMedPAC, the AAFP's federal political action committee, has raised nearly $200,000 since Jan. 1.

The money has enabled the Academy to increase its visibility on Capitol Hill and convey its messages about health care reform and other issues directly to members of Congress. The $200,000 figure is close to the amount of money raised by FamMedPAC during the same time frame last year.

Family physicians seeking to save time taking a family history of certain mental health disorders now can access a free online tool.

The Mental Health Family Tree is a brief patient questionnaire that enables clinicians to easily obtain a comprehensive individual and family history to uncover patterns associated with depression and bipolar disorder.

The tool, which is part of a Web portal launched by the nonprofit organization Families for Depression Awareness, is formatted as a chart listing close relatives and certain behavioral symptoms. Patients can fill out the chart before they come in for appointments and review it with their physicians.