Diagnosis of Neurologic Disorders

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Crum ◽  
Eduardo E. Benarroch ◽  
Robert D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disorders ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Neurologic Disease ◽  
Neurologic Disorder ◽  
Neurologic Disorders

Primary care physicians need a good working knowledge of common and emergency neurologic disorders since they are often encountered in general clinical practice (about 10% of patients of primary care physicians in the United States have neurologic disorders, and about 25% of inpatients have a neurologic disorder as a primary or secondary problem). In the aging population, cerebrovascular disorders, dementias, and Parkinson disease are becoming more prevalent. Understanding a patient with neurologic disease depends on localizing the problem on the basis of the medical history and examination findings, considering a differential diagnosis, and correlating the clinical findings with abnormalities found on appropriate diagnostic testing.

Fool’s Gold: Psychologists Using Disingenuous Reasoning to Mislead Legislatures into Granting Psychologists Prescriptive Authority

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-524
Author(s):  
Brent Pollitt
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychotropic Medications ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Prescriptive Authority

Mental illness is a serious problem in the United States. Based on “current epidemiological estimates, at least one in five people has a diagnosable mental disorder during the course of a year.” Fortunately, many of these disorders respond positively to psychotropic medications. While psychiatrists write some of the prescriptions for psychotropic medications, primary care physicians write more of them. State legislatures, seeking to expand patient access to pharmacological treatment, granted physician assistants and nurse practitioners prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications. Over the past decade other groups have gained some form of prescriptive authority. Currently, psychologists comprise the primary group seeking prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications.The American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy (“ASAP”), a division of the American Psychological Association (“APA”), spearheads the drive for psychologists to gain prescriptive authority. The American Psychological Association offers five main reasons why legislatures should grant psychologists this privilege: 1) psychologists’ education and clinical training better qualify them to diagnose and treat mental illness in comparison with primary care physicians; 2) the Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project (“PDP”) demonstrated non-physician psychologists can prescribe psychotropic medications safely; 3) the recommended post-doctoral training requirements adequately prepare psychologists to prescribe safely psychotropic medications; 4) this privilege will increase availability of mental healthcare services, especially in rural areas; and 5) this privilege will result in an overall reduction in medical expenses, because patients will visit only one healthcare provider instead of two–one for psychotherapy and one for medication.

Electronic cigarettes: How confident and effective are allergists, pulmonologists, and primary care physicians in their practice behavior?

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-197
Author(s):  
Sherry S. Zhou ◽  
Alan P. Baptist
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fisher Exact Test ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
Tobacco Cigarette ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Personal Use

Background: There has been a striking increase in electronic cigarette (EC) use in the United States. The beliefs and practices toward ECs among physicians are unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate EC practice patterns among allergists, pulmonologists, and primary care physicians. Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to physicians. The survey contained 32 questions and addressed issues related to demographics, cessation counseling behaviors, personal use, and knowledge and beliefs about ECs. Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance, the Pearson χ2 test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 291 physicians completed the survey (222 primary care physicians, 33 pulmonologists, and 36 allergists) for a response rate of 46%. The allergists asked about tobacco cigarette use as frequently as did the pulmonologists and more than the primary care physicians (p < 0.001), but they rarely asked about EC use. The pulmonologists scored highest on self-reported knowledge on ECs, although all the groups answered <40% of the questions correctly. The allergists did not feel as comfortable about providing EC cessation counseling as did the pulmonologists and primary care physicians (p < 0.001). All three groups were equally unlikely to recommend ECs as a cessation tool for tobacco cigarette users. Conclusion: Allergists lacked knowledge and confidence in providing education and cessation counseling for EC users. As the number of patients who use these products continues to increase, there is an urgent need for all physicians to be comfortable and knowledgeable with counseling about ECs.

Teaching Normal and Abnormal Behavior to Primary Care Physicians

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uriel Halbreich
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Abnormal Behavior ◽  
General Internists ◽  
Education Committee ◽  
Personal Skills

Objective: This article delineates the framework for a curriculum on psychiatry, normal and abnormal human behavior for primary care physicians (PCPs). Methods: Curricula have been surveyed. Members of the Education Committee of the Association of Medicine and Psychiatry, as well as Family Physicians and General Internists involved in education have been consulted. Their recommendations are integrated. Results and Conclusions: The curriculum should be developed according to the needs of PCPs and from their perspective. Patient and problem-oriented, its content can be divided into: a) personal skills that should be developed; and b) knowledge of symptoms, their differential diagnosis (DDX) and management within the PCP's, facilities and abilities.

Stimulant Medication Use by Primary Care Physicians in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-101
Author(s):  
Mark L. Wolraich ◽  
Scott Lindgren ◽  
Ann Stromquist ◽  
Richard Milich ◽  
Charles Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Stimulant Medication ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Family Practitioners ◽  
Behavioral Treatments

Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most common behavioral disorders in children in the United States, remains controversial because of concern about stimulant medication use. Extending a previous study of pediatricians, the present study surveyed a random national sample of family practitioners and then directly screened 457 patients of 10 pediatricians and family practitioners in two small midwestern cities. Responses to the national survey indicated that stimulant medication remains the main treatment prescribed by primary care physicians for children with ADHD. In the direct patient screening, the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses was 5.3% (pediatricians) and 4.2% (family practitioners) of all elementary-schoolaged children screened. Eighty-eight percent of these children were treated with methyiphenidate. Although medication was considered an effective treatment by the parents of 85% of the children given the medication, efficacy was unrelated to the accuracy of diagnosis. When explicit DSM-III-R criteria were used, only 72% of those assigned a diagnosis of ADHD by the physicians would have received that diagnosis based on a structured psychiatric interview with the parents and only 53% received that diagnosis based on teacher report of symptoms, even when the child was not receiving medication. Although the majority of physicians (in both the surveys and the direct screenings) reported using at least some behavioral treatments with their patients, parents reported infrequent use of nonpharmacologic forms of therapy, such as behavior modification. These data thus indicate a relatively modest rate of stimulant medication use for ADHD, but a serious underuse of systematic behavioral treatments in primary care.

Parasitology Screening of Latin American Children in a Primary Care Clinic

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-283
Author(s):  
Joel L. Bass ◽  
Kishor A. Mehta ◽  
Bonnie Eppes
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Primary Care Clinic ◽  
The United States ◽  
Common Finding ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Care Clinic

A screening program based in a Massachusetts community hospital primary care clinic, which included 124 children from 12 different Latin American countries, demonstrated that nearly 35% were carriers of pathogenic parasites. The large majority (83.7%) of these children were asymptomatic at the time of the examination. Although there may be considerable variation based on country of origin, the present results, as well as a review of the literature, suggest this is likely to be a common finding among children born in most regions of Latin America. Compliance with the screening process was significantly higher in groups with higher infection rates and the successive yield in those patients who submitted two or more stool samples revealed that most pathogens were identified in the first sample. Schoolage children were found to have the highest risk for both roundworm infections and multiple parasitic infections. For those children with identified pathogens, nearly 90% received treatment. Current trends in immigration, international adoptions, and special circumstances including day care, family shelters, and increasing numbers of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children have made an appreciation of the extent of parasitosis, and awareness of possible management approaches, an important consideration for primary care physicians in the United States.

Corporal Punishment

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 792-793
Author(s):  
Den A. Trumbull ◽  
DuBose Ravenel ◽  
David Larson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Corporal Punishment ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The United States

The supplement to Pediatrics entitled "The Role of the Pediatrician in Violence Prevention" is timely, given the increasingly serious violence problem in the United States.1 Many of the supplement's recommendations are well-conceived and developed. However, the recommendation to "work toward the ultimate goal of ending corporal punishment in homes" (page 580)2 is unwarranted and counterproductive. Before one advises against a practice approved by 88% of American parents3 and supported by 67% of primary care physicians,4 there should be sufficient scientific evidence to support the proposed change in social policy.

Delivery of Survivorship Care by Primary Care Physicians: The Perspective of Breast Cancer Patients

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 933-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun J. Mao ◽  
Marjorie A. Bowman ◽  
Carrie T. Stricker ◽  
Angela DeMichele ◽  
Linda Jacobs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Postmenopausal Breast Cancer ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Survivorship Care ◽  
General Care

Purpose Most of the 182,460 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States this year will become long-term survivors. Helping these women transition from active treatment to survivorship is a challenge that involves both oncologists and primary care physicians (PCPs). This study aims to describe postmenopausal breast cancer survivors' (BCS) perceptions of PCP-related survivorship care. Patients and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 300 BCSs seen in an outpatient breast oncology clinic at a large university hospital. The primary outcome measure was a seven-item self-reported measure on perceived survivorship care (Cronbach's α = .89). Multivariate regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with perceived care delivery. Results Overall, BCSs rated PCP-related survivorship care as 65 out of 100 (standard deviation = 17). The areas of PCP-related care most strongly endorsed were general care (78%), psychosocial support (73%), and health promotion (73%). Fewer BCSs perceived their PCPs as knowledgeable about cancer follow-up (50%), late effects of cancer therapies (59%), or treating symptoms related to cancer or cancer therapies (41%). Only 28% felt that their PCPs and oncologists communicated well. In a multivariate regression analysis, nonwhite race and level of trust in the PCP were significantly associated with higher perceived level of PCP-related survivorship care (P = .001 for both). Conclusion Although BCSs perceived high quality of general care provided by their PCPs, they were not as confident with their PCPs' ability to deliver cancer-specific survivorship care. Interventions need to be tested to improve oncology-primary care communication and PCP knowledge of cancer-specific survivorship care.

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