Common illnesses, patient physician interactions, continuity, and practice organization

Abstract

As our readership continues to expand dramatically, we are pleased to have an issue with broad range of articles all about common issues or illnesses seen daily, providing much information that will inform patient care and aid the practice of medicine. Included are articles addressing the effect of shared decision making about PSA testing and weight loss management, capitated payments to patient education, physician language related to adherence, and various factors of provider-patient continuity. We also have articles comparing outcomes of Cesarean sections by family physicians and obstetricians, articles about the natural history of symptoms (dangerous or otherwise) in childhood febrile illnesses, and articles providing a different look at sample medications, the evolving use of narcotics for chronic pain, a risk estimation score for male osteoporosis, a simple test for detecting cognitive impairment in people with low literacy, reproductive health care for adolescent women, and the overlap syndrome between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, we note that scores on the American Board of Family Medicine certification examination vary substantially across the country and by various residency factors.