March/April 2008 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet

Acculturation and Healthy Lifestyle Among Latinos with Diabetes
By Arch G. Mainous III, Ph.D., et al

OTHER STUDIES IN THIS ISSUE

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirms Recommendations for Two Newborn Screenings

In the March/April issue of Annals, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force provides two updated statements, reaffirming their previous recommendations for phenylketon (PKU) and congenital hypothyroidism screening in newborns. Both statements, which are based on new evidence, are available on the Annals of Family Medicine Web site, www.annfammed.org.

Screening for Phenylketonuria (PKU): US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation
Screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation
By U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Redesigning Primary Care Practice: National Pilot Project Update

At the pilot project’s halfway point, two participants in the American Academy of Family Physicians’ multimillion dollar practice redesign initiative reflect on the crisis in primary care and offer insights from their own experience with practice transformation. They propose necessary ingredients for practice change and conclude that relationships remain the centerpiece of family medicine.

Changing Horses Midstream: The Promise and Prudence of Practice Redesign
By David Loxterkamp, M.D. and Louis A. Kazal, Jr., M.D.

Study Suggests Ways to Organize Primary Care Practices for Better Accessibility and Continuity

A study of patients and physicians in 100 primary care clinics in Quebec identifies the organizational and professional characteristics of primary care practice that are associated with patient accessibility, continuity and coordination of care. Among those features are offering after-hours care and telephone advice and having operational agreements with other health care establishments.

Practice Features Associated With Patient-Reported Accessibility, Continuity, and Coordination of Primary Health Care
By Jeannie L. Haggerty, Ph.D., et al

Physician Support Groups Help Swedish Primary Care Doctors Avoid Burnout

In an era in which primary care physician burnout is a major concern, researchers find that long-term participation in a Balint group, in which physicians meet regularly to discuss follow-up cases from their everyday work, can enhance the joy of being a doctor. Qualitative interviews with nine Swedish physicians revealed that Balint group participation increased physicians’ competence in patient encounters and enabled them to endure in their job and find joy and challenge in their patient relationships.