Childhood asthma, a growing health concern, has been associated with low birth weight and elevated body mass index. This study tested the hypothesis that overweight and obese adolescents with a history of low birth weight are at even greater risk of developing asthma. A cohort of 75,871 junior high school students was screened for asthma during 1995-1996 in Taiwan. Birth weight and estimated ge...

PURPOSE Physicians and their spouses experience challenges to their relationships, some of which are shared with the general population and others of which are unique to the field of medicine. Trainees and junior faculty members remain curious about how they will balance their careers alongside marriage and family obligations. This study explores the challenges and strengths of dual- and single...

OBJECTIVE There is a dearth of empirical research on physician empathy despite its mediating role in patient-physician relationships and clinical outcomes. This study was designed to investigate the components of physician empathy, its measurement properties, and group differences in empathy scores. METHOD A revised version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (with 20 Likert-type item...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of diverse continuing medical education (CME) interventions on physician performance and health care outcomes. DATA SOURCES Using continuing medical education and related phrases, we performed regular searches of the indexed literature (MEDLINE, Social Science Index, the National Technical Information Service, and Educational Research Information Clearinghouse) ...

BACKGROUND Secondhand smoke is a major cause of morbidity in young children, and exposure to smoking parents is the principal source. Physician visits for young children present an opportunity to effect behavioral change among smoking parents. OBJECTIVE To survey pediatricians and family physicians in their knowledge and practice of smoking cessation counseling with parents. DESIGN Cross-se...

Objective We sought to identify factors influencing a woman's decision to have an elective repeat cesarean delivery (ERCD) versus vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Methods and Materials A prospective study at two academic medical centers of women with one prior cesarean, and no contraindication to a trial of labor, delivered by ERCD from October 2013 to June 2014. Participants completed anon...

BACKGROUND Marital conflict and divorce are prevalent in our society, and patients frequently ask family physicians to assist them with marital difficulties. These difficulties are often associated with a decline in health, resulting in additional stress to the marital unit. METHODS A MEDLINE search was undertaken using the key words "family medicine," "marital therapy," "marital counseling,"...

Session D4: Quality of Care/Patient Safety Moderator: Leora I. Horwitz, MD, MHS WORSENING TRENDS IN THE AMBULATORY MANAGEMENT OF HEADACHE John N. Mafi 1 ; Samuel T. Edwards 2 ; Nigel Pederson 3 ; Roger B. Davis 1 ; Ellen P. McCarthy 1,4 ; Bruce E. Landon 1,5 . 1 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 2 Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA; 3 B...

The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) this position statement is intended to guide physicians in counseling children and adolescents to prevent overweight. Rigorous reviews of the published literature have found insufficient evidence to permit the development of formal recommendations by the US Preventive Services Task Force and others. However, numerous public health and physician...

Many women are denied wanted abortions in the US. This happens for medical, personal and financial reasons and because women are just too far advanced in pregnancy by the time they present at the abortion facility near them. In the US, each abortion facility sets their own gestational limits, based on physician training, clinician and staff comfort, facility regulations, institutional policy an...