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- CMS issues final rule for Physician Payments Sunshine Act
CMS issued a final rule implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act that requires drug and device manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to report certain payments or gifts to physicians and other providers. Responding to concerns by the AAFP and other groups, the CMS exempted speaker fees for accredited and certified CME programs. Carly Harrington, the AAFP's manager of CME credit systems and compliance, said CMS acknowledged that CME accrediting and certifying bodies, such as AAFP, already have high standards for transparency and conflict-of-interest resolution. AAFP News Now
(2/15)
    
| Clinical News
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- CDC: Flu activity continues downward trend
CDC data from the week ending Feb. 9 showed that flu activity in many states continued to drop. Eleven states and New York City reported high levels of flu activity, and 10 states reported moderate activity. Adults aged 65 and older account for more than half of total flu-related hospitalizations, and 64 children have died so far this flu season, the CDC said. DoctorsLounge.com/HealthDay News
(2/15)
- Study links cardiometabolic risk factors to premature death
Researchers looked at data on 9,245 people ages 12 to 39 and found that cardiometabolic risk factors such as central obesity, smoking and hyperglycemia were associated with a higher risk of death before age 55. Analysis also showed a higher risk of all-cause death related with hypertension and high total and non-HDL cholesterol in women, but not in men. The study appeared online in the journal Pediatrics. MedPage Today (free registration)
(2/18)
- Diabetes patients show improvements in disease care
Nineteen percent of diabetes patients in 2010 met or exceeded three measures of good disease care, compared with only 2% in previous decades, according to a study in Diabetes Care. Researchers found nearly 53% of patients attained an A1C of less than 7%, while 51% were able to achieve their blood pressure goals and 56% met their cholesterol goals in 2010. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News
(2/15)
- Weight-loss program safe, effective among senior women
Older obese women who underwent a lifestyle intervention had lost as much weight as middle-age participants at six and 18 months, according to a study in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging. Older women did not show higher risk of adverse events than middle-aged women, researchers noted, and better improvements in blood pressure were seen among the older women. DailyRx.com
(2/17)
| Practice Management
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- Motivational interviewing may help patients change behaviors
Convincing patients to change lifestyle behaviors to improve their health can be frustrating, physicians say, but using alternative communication models that focus less on instructions and more on questions can help. Dr. Frank Domino, a family medicine professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said motivational interviewing is a way for physicians to begin to get patients to identify what they want to do to improve their health. American Medical News (free content)
(2/18)
- Pregnancy, fitness apps are very popular, report finds
A report released by Citrix ByteMobile found that 47% of mobile health application subscribers use pregnancy-related apps, while 39% use fitness apps. The report found fitness apps generate more data traffic on wireless networks than pregnancy apps. Other popular apps include those that offer calorie counters, medical information, sleep tracking and relaxation tools. MobiHealthNews.com
(2/14)
| Health Policy & Legislation
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- Deadline ends with 26 states choosing federal-run exchange
Twenty-six states have opted to let the federal government run their health insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act with the passing of Friday's deadline. States that opted not to operate their own exchanges can still change their decisions for 2015, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight Director Gary Cohen said. The Washington Times
(2/16)
- HHS offers grants to boost prenatal care
HHS on Friday introduced an initiative, Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns, aimed at lowering the number of premature births under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Communities with high rates of premature birth will be given funding to improve prenatal care. The Hill/Healthwatch blog
(2/15)
| Professional Issues & Trends
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| Inside the AAFP
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| About AAFP |
This news roundup is provided as a timely update to AAFP members and other health care professionals about
family medicine topics in the news media. Links to articles are provided for the convenience
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