Psoriasis in Primary Care: A Focus on the Integral Role of the PCP. The purpose of this program is to educate primary care clinicians on how to identify patients with psoriasis and to ensure that patients with psoriasis are aware that their condition confers additional risks for a variety of conditions and diseases.

The Earlier the Better: Recognition of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis in the Primary Care Setting. Arthritis is a relatively common reason for presentation in the medical office. More than 21% of US adults (46.4 million) have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affecting approximately 1.3 million adults. Diagnosing RA in the early stages can be difficult and patients may have subtle to near-normal physical examination.

Herpes Zoster, Post Herpetic Neuralgia, and Zoster Vaccine Live. ‘Prevention is worth a pound of cure” is particularly true for older adults who are at risk for developing post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) and herpes zoster (HZV). PHN is the post sequelae that can occur in people who have had a previous bout of herpes zoster, also known as shingles. HZV is an infection attributable to the human herpes virus-3, also known as the varicella zoster virus.

Health Literacy: Healthcare Communication Competency for the Patient, Family & Clinician. Health literacy is the ability of an individual to understand basic health information and treatment strategies needed to self-manage health. A survey completed by the AMA-MSS Subcommittee on Health Literacy found that the strongest predictor of an individual’s health status is not associated with age, education, or income, but rather, based on literacy skills.

Focusing on the Patient: Diagnosis and Management of ADHD. This program “Focusing on the Patient: Diagnosis and Management of ADHD” will increase the awareness of primary care clinicians regarding the signs and symptoms of ADHD and competencies in distinguishing symptoms of adult ADHD compared to the childhood disorder. It will also raise participants’ awareness of the wide range of pharmacological agents available for treatment of ADHD, their benefits and risks, helping to implement their use to develop an individualized, integrated treatment program.

Bone Fragility Treatment. Since we first started using bisphosphonates like alendronate (Fosamax) to treat bone loss in women, our tendency has been to over treat younger women with milder bone loss and under treat older women who are at much higher risk of fracture, or in some cases recurrent fracture.

Probiotics for GI Health in 2012: Issues and Updates. Microbiota, often referred to as microflora, in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract comprise a complex community of microorganisms that contribute to a variety of local and systemic functions vital to development and well-being. There is substantial interest in using probiotics to target the GI microbiota to promote health, and probiotic use has grown rapidly over the last decade. In addition, the number of clinical trials assessing probiotics in humans also has increased substantially in recent years.

Focusing on the Patient: Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways and is defined by many clinical, physiological, and pathological characteristics. The pattern of inflammation is strongly associated with airway hyperresponsiveness and asthma symptoms. In addition to the inflammatory response, characteristic structural changes (“airway remodelling”) occur in the airways of patients with asthma. There are an estimated 300 million individuals with asthma worldwide. The global prevalence ranges from 1% to 8%. This activity will examine asthma risk impairment, risk factors, and treatment strategies including assessing for patient adherence to treatment for optimal outcomes.

Putting Out the Fire: Optimal Management of Gout in the Primary Care Setting. Primary care providers are increasingly challenged to manage gout, a condition that is on the rise primarily due to the high rates of obesity among the US population. Clinicians are required to manage gout more often and the complexity of the disease is often magnified due to multiple comorbidities and/or advanced age.

CASE STUDY: Man with Painful Urination. Sam Marx is a 46-year-old insurance agent who presents to your office with a chief complaint of dysuria and purulent urethral discharge for the past 3 days.

A New Look at Controversial Therapies. A pair of recently published studies has shed new light on two controversial therapies—omega-3 fatty acids to prevent heart disease and acupuncture for pain relief.

Managing the Red Eye in Primary Care Part 2 - Allergic Conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is a general term that encompasses a variety of conditions that affect the eye and its external surrounding tissues. As our world continues to become industrialized, overcrowding and pollution will cause an increased prevalence in allergy-related eye conditions.

Managing the Red Eye in Primary Care Part 1 - Infectious Conjunctivitis. Infectious conjunctivitis is a common, multifaceted condition that has a variety of etiologies and clinical features, and requires a variety of treatments. Professional care is needed for accurate diagnosis and effective therapeutic intervention.

New Resource for Older Drivers and Their Families. In August 2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) unveiled a new online resource for older drivers and families seeking information on an often sensitive topic: Is it still safe to drive? Developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at NIH and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Older Drivers topic offers up-to-date information on how aging may affect driving, including physical changes, safety issues and ways older drivers can cope when driving skills change.

Asthma Management: Recent Insights and Updates. Asthma, characterized by reversible airflow obstruction, has afflicted people since ancient times. Described by Galen in the second century as epilepsy of the lungs, an array of famous people have suffered from asthma—from Ludwig von Beethoven to Billy Joel, from the ancient Roman philosopher and politician, Seneca to President Bill Clinton, and from baseball pitcher, Jim “Catfish” Hunter to Olympic medalist, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. [1,2] Today, it is estimated that asthma affects 300 million individuals worldwide. In the US, its prevalence has increased dramatically in the last decade and now affects more than 25 million.[3] Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children under 5 years old, and is the leading cause of morbidity reflected in absence from daycare,