Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal-dominant disorder that is characterized by recurrent attacks of facial, abdominal, genital, or peripheral skin edema without accompanying urticaria. These episodes can be life-threatening if they involve the larynx or the upper airway. Angioedema can be associated with other medical problems, including infection, connective tissue disorders, and malignancy.

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.

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.

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.

Primary care providers are increasingly called upon to manage gout, a once less common disease that is becoming more prevalent and difficult to treat as our society rapidly ages. Gout is also on the rise and increasingly severe due to the increasing prevalence of obesity as well as animal fats and high fructose corn syrup in the Western diet. This presents a significant clinical challenge considering the traditionally very limited armamentarium of therapies available to clinicians practicing in the primary care setting.

Major Depressive Disorder in Primary Care: Implementing Evidence-Based Care Pathways. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability and premature mortality, but it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Effective screening, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment can greatly mitigate the harmful and debilitating effects of this chronic psychiatric disorder. However, evidence suggests that management of depression is challenging for primary care providers (PCPs).

Thyroid Disease: The Subtle, the Controversial, and the Complex. The thyroid gland impacts nearly all of the body’s metabolic processes, and its disorders cover a wide range of diseases. These conditions are usually seen first in primary care settings, but they frequently go undiagnosed. With proper diagnosis, however, thyroid disorders can usually be well managed.

Assessment and Management of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in the Primary Care Setting. Heavy menstrual bleeding is one of the most frequent complaints in the gynecologic and primary care settings. Twenty percent of women experience excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding at some time during their lives, particularly as they approach menopause.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Recognition for Primary Care. Interviews from the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, 2011.