Blood-based biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: Future directions for implementation.

INTRODUCTION: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) will increase diagnostic demand. A non-invasive blood-based biomarker (BBBM) test for detection of amyloid-ß pathology may reduce diagnostic barriers and facilitate DMT initiation. OBJECTIVE: To explore heterogeneity in AD care pathways and potential role of BBBM tests. METHODS: Survey of 213 healthcare professionals/payers in US/China/UK/Germany/Spain/France and two advisory boards (US/Europe). RESULTS: Current diagnostic pathways are heterogeneous, meaning many AD patients are missed while low-risk patients undergo unnecessary procedures. Confirmatory amyloid testing (cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers/positron emission tomography) is utilized in few patients, resulting in diagnostic/treatment delays. A high negative-predictive-value test could streamline the diagnostic pathway by reducing unnecessary procedures in low-risk patients; supporting confirmatory testing where needed. Imminent approval of DMTs will increase need for fast and reliable AD diagnostic tests. DISCUSSION: An easy-to-use, accurate, non-invasive BBBM test for amyloid pathology could guide diagnostic procedures or referral, streamlining early diagnosis and DMT initiation. Highlights: This study explored AD care pathways and how BBBM may meet diagnostic demandsCurrent diagnostic pathways are heterogeneous, with country and setting variationsMany AD patients are missed, while low-risk patients undergo unnecessary proceduresAn easy-to-use, accurate, non-invasive BBBM test for amyloid pathology is neededThis test could streamline early diagnosis of amyloid pathology and DMT initiation.

A National CERA Study of the Use of Laborists in Family Medicine Residency Training.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the impact of laborists (which we defined as "clinicians dedicated to providing L&D care services in the hospital environment for pregnant patients, regardless of who provided the prenatal care" for this survey) on family medicine residency training. We surveyed family medicine residency directors to assess characteristics about laborist services and their involvement in family medicine residency teaching. METHODS: Questions were included in the 2015 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of family medicine residency directors. Univariate statistics were used to describe programs, directors, and our questions on the use of laborists. Chi-square tests and Student's t tests were used to evaluate bivariate relationships using a P<.05 to denote statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 250/473 (52.9%) of residency directors completed the laborist section of the CERA survey. Sixty-four percent of residency programs were community based/university affiliated, representing the expected range, size, and location of family medicine programs. Almost half of programs (44.4%) reported a laborist service in their main teaching hospital for L&D training. Of directors, 64.1 % viewed laborists as good/excellent educators; 54.3% reported little or no reduction in L&D teaching required of their faculty despite the presence of a laborist service. Fifteen percent reported that >30% of their graduates included L&D care in their first practice.. CONCLUSIONS: Laborists have an important role in family medicine resident obstetrics training and education. More research is needed to explore how laborists and family medicine faculty can collaborate to promote enhanced efficiency and effectiveness as residency teachers.

Hospitalist involvement in family medicine residency training: A CERA study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the impact of hospitalists on family medicine residencies. We surveyed family medicine residency directors to assess attitudes about hospitalists and their involvement in residency teaching. METHODS: Questions were included in the 2012 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of family medicine residency directors. Univariate statistics were used to describe programs, directors, and our questions on the use of hospitalists. Bivariate statistics were used to examine relationships between the use of hospitalists to teach and program characteristics. RESULTS: Forty-one percent (n=175) of residency directors completed the hospitalist section of the CERA survey. Sixty-six percent of residency programs were community based/university affiliated. The majority of directors who have, or are planning to develop, a hospitalist service currently use an internal medicine service (92.5%), followed by family medicine (39.1%), pediatrics (35.4%), OB/laborists (18.0%), and combined services (8.7%). The majority of programs with a hospitalist training track (or plans to develop one) indicated that this was for a family medicine service. Sixty percent of programs that have a hospitalist service involve hospitalists in teaching. Twenty percent of directors reported that hospitalists serve as family medicine faculty, and 63% viewed them as "good educators." However, 85% reported no reduction in inpatient teaching by family medicine faculty despite using hospitalist teaching services. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalists have a significant educational role in family medicine resident training. Further research is needed to explore how hospitalists and family medicine faculty can collaborate to promote enhanced efficiency and effectiveness as residency teachers.

Implementation of STFM's "Smiles for Life" oral health curriculum in a medical school interclerkship.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While oral health is an important topic for medical education, it is often not covered in medical school. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has recently set guidelines for oral health training in medical education. Our objective was to demonstrate how a mandatory interclerkship (half-day workshops taught between third-year clerkships) that covers pediatric, urgent care, examination skills, and prevention topics in oral health can lead to an increase in knowledge for medical students. METHODS: Teaching methods included the use of interactive lectures, an audience response system, and small-group workshops taught by medical and dental educators. The curriculum was based on the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Smiles for Life National Oral Health Curriculum. Students were given pretests and posttests, including a 6-month follow-up test. RESULTS: Students showed a significant improvement in knowledge between pretesting and immediate posttesting across a range of topics. Long-term knowledge retention was more limited. The majority of students reported enthusiasm for this topic and found the materials essential for their training. CONCLUSIONS: A brief interclerkship can improve medical students' oral health knowledge and be engaging. More research is needed to evaluate means to sustaining the knowledge.

A shift in referral patterns for HIV/AIDS patients.

PURPOSE: With the rapid development (and complex prescribing patterns) of drugs for HIV/AIDS care, it is challenging for physicians to keep current. We conducted a follow-up study to a 1994 cohort study to see how care and referral patterns have changed over the last decade. In this study, we examined how family physicians in Massachusetts were caring for their HIV-infected patients, and to see whether FPs were referring more patients to specialists for care compared with a decade ago. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional survey as an 11-year follow-up to a previous study. It was mailed in 2005 to the active membership of the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians. RESULTS: Compared with the cohort of 1994, the number of HIV+ patients in individual practices remained about the same, but the number of practices with no AIDS patients was significantly higher. 85.3% of FPs noted that they were more likely to refer HIV/AIDS patients immediately compared with their own practice patterns a decade ago. In this study, 39.0% of current respondents referred HIV+ patients immediately, 57.0% co-managed patients, and 4.1% managed these patients alone (the data for the 1994 cohort was 7.0%, 45.8%, and 47.2%, respectively; P<.0001). Similar changes were seen in regard to care patterns for AIDS patients. Among the current cohort, 61.7% reported that they referred patients immediately, compared with only 18.3% in 1994; 36.8% noted that they co-managed these patients (vs 74.3% in 1994); and only 1.5% reported that they managed these patients alone (vs 7.4% in 1994; P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: A significant shift amongst FPs with regard to their referral patterns for patients with HIV/AIDS has occurred over the last decade. The community health center has emerged as a resource for patients with HIV/AIDS. Funding for specific training programs on HIV/AIDS care should be targeted to community health centers.