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May 2013 News

  Can CME Reduce Costs?

Last month we pointed to a survey supporting CME for outcomes in practice improvement. This month a second survey conducted by Global Education Group of 1500 physicians looked at the cost-efficiencies of CME. Twenty-nine percent of respondents indicated that CME gave them knowledge that enabled them to consider more cost effective treatment options and had resulted in fewer patient follow-up visits and or less consult time. Respondents indicated they learned how to better manage their patients which resulted in patients improving their adherence to recommended treatments. Specifically, respondents said CME helped them avoid unnecessary and/or ineffective drug therapies; choose the most effective drug for their formulary instead of having to supply multiple drugs of the same class and reduce the number of colonoscopy tests by following guidelines they learned.

This new data adds to the pile of evidence that CME does, in fact, help physicians do their jobs better which in turn improves outcomes and lower costs. Having qualitative and quantitative data bodes well for the future of CME.

  Just a Number

With the addition of St. Luke's Magic Valley, ACMEC is now tracking around 1900 physicians, PA's and NP's. These are all dues paying members of the medical staffs of the hospitals in Treasure Valley, Eastern Oregon and Southwestern Idaho. As we attempt to manage the database for such a large group it has never been more important to have accurate information when signing in on your attendance at a conference. Our database entry can require looking at as many as 10 lists on credentialed staff in order to verify one entry.

  Upcoming Conferences

5/17-19/2013 IAFP Conference, Boise
Contact: Neva Santos idahoafp@aol.com

7/26-28/2013 IMA Annual Meeting, Sun Valley
Contact: Erin Trimble erin@idmed.org

  Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. - Anderson Center
  Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. - Winter Room
  Friday, 8:00 a.m. - McCleary Auditorium

  Other Regularly Scheduled Conferences

  St Luke's RMC

Thoracic Tumor Board - 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 7:00 a.m
Tumor Board - Tuesday, 12:00 noon
Breast Tumor Board - Thursday, 7 a.m.
MSTI Pediatric Tumor Board - 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 12 noon
CHEERS (Children's Hospital Education Enrichment Review) - 1stThursday, 8 am
Anderson Center - Ada -2; MATCH 2nd Thursday, 8 am

 

  The Ada County Medical Society encourages you to participate in its upcoming activities:

May 23, 2013 - Join us for a Spring Wine Tasting to benefit the ACMS Foundation and the Garden City Community Clinic - Genesis World Mission. From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. we'll enjoy the company of friends, superb Idaho wines and light hors' deourves, poolside, at Crane Creek Country Club. Purchase your ticket or make a donation by calling the ACMS at 336.2930.

June 6, 2013 - We return to Caven Williams Sports Facility at BSU for the Annual High School Physicals event. Please help the ACMS as we give sports physicals to more than 700 athletes. Volunteer online at www.adamedicalsociety.org or send an email to director@adamedicalsociety.org.

Meet Me Monday - ACMS members are encouraged to get active with this great walking opportunity in downtown Boise. Sponsored by St. Alphonsus, Meet Me Monday starts at 5:15 p.m. every week at 6th and Main. Come join the ACMS team! Find out more at www.adamedicalsociety.org.

This month's laughs in memory of Loy Swinehart, M.D. who provided many of our ACUMEN jokes over the years.

• America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believes that professional wrestling is real, but the moon landing was faked. David Letterman
• I'm not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. Dammit! I'm a billionaire. Howard Hughes
• After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box. Italian proverb
• Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself. Harrison Ford
• Lawyers believe that a man is innocent until proven broke. Robin Hall
• Having more money doesn't make you happier. I have 50 million dollars but I'm no happier than when I had 48 million. Arnold Schwarzenegger
• In hotel rooms I worry. I can't be the only guy who sits on the furniture naked. Jonathan Katz
• Hollywood must be the only place on earth where you can be fired by a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a baseball cap. Steve Martin
• As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder. John Glenn
• If God intended us to fly, He would have made it easier to get to the airport. Jonathan Winters

  June 2013

 5 The Opioid Epidemic: An Update, Allyson Bateman, MD
 7 Critical Care Case Conference, Speaker TBA
12 Fever & Rash, Tom Rand, MD
14 Chronic Opiate Use in Pregnancy: Management and Risk Reduction, Patrick Kinney, MD
19 St. Luke's Children's Hospital, Grand Rounds, St. Luke's Pediatric Research, Mark Roberts, MD
21 What Hippocrates Knew That We Have Forgotten, Don Patrick, MD
26 What You Need To Know About The CDL Exam, Michael Weiss, MD, Richard York
28 High Value Care (Video) Steven Weinberger, MD

Listening

A leading complaint against physicians in many polls is "my doctor doesn't listen to me". Why is this so and what can be done about it?

Because of changes in healthcare delivery such as a dependence on technology and a decline in patient encounter times which reflects the reality of reimbursement, listening has become an endangered species.

Time is the "gift" we all have to share with our patients; though we barely have enough of it to finish the tasks we must, much less those we would like.

Listening may enhance one's diagnostic accuracy but for many it is not easy. It is a skill that can be improved. It sometimes requires us not to be in control but when done empathically it enhances patient communication and shows our caring and concern. It may also give us the diagnosis.

Listening should be done in a comfortable environment without external interruptions such as cell phones and pagers. Eye contact at the patient's level is essential. External concerns should be put aside so that the patient is our primary focus. Open ended questions may be helpful as are some non-medical questions. Repeating two or three words from the patients last sentence is a technique that assures the patient we are listening. Silence from the physician can be a powerful form of non-verbal communication. Resist the temptation to change the subject or to offer advice too soon. When we listen to patients we reassure them that their lives have meaning and we strengthen the physician/patient relationship.

John J. Mohr, M.D.

 

May 2013 Conferences

  Anderson Center, St. Luke’s RMC, Wednesday 8:00 a.m.

 1 Vitamin D, Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD
 8 Thyroid Case Studies, Sarah Staller, MD
15 Childhood Diabetes Update, Daniel Flynn, MD
22 Immunizations, Kristen Feemster, MD
29 Bariatric Update 2013, Robert Korn, MD

  Winter Room, Saint Alphonsus RMC - Nampa, Wednesday 12:15 p.m.

 1 No Conference
 8 No Conference
15 No Conference
22 No Conference
29 No Conference

  AW Horsley, VA Medical Center, Thursday 8:00 a.m.

 2 Update in Osteoporosis Management, Barry Stults, MD
 9 Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, Richard Lassere, MD
16 Update in Primary Care, Bill Weppner, MD
23 C. Diff, Brian McCullough, PharmD
30 Topic TBA, Norman Zuckerman, MD

  McCleary Auditorium, Saint Alphonsus RMC, Friday 8:00 a.m.

 3 Sexual Assault, Ashley King, MD
10 Wrist Injuries, Scot Scheffel, MD
17 Chronic UTI's, Joe Williams, MD
24 Patient Centered Home Update, Megan Dunay, MD
31 The Dizzy Patient, DelRay Maughan, MD

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