Embargoed March/April Annals of Family Medicine...( quality may actually sacrifice good ca...),Health

Clinical Concerns About Clinical Performance Measurement
By Rachel M. Werner, M.D., Ph.D., et al.

PATIENT EDUCATION MATERIALS ON PROSTATE CANCER INFORM AND ENGAGE PATIENTS

This randomized controlled study finds that patients who have exposure to patient education materials about prostate cancer screening before their doctor's visit are more informed and engaged in the screening decision than those with no prior exposure to patient educational materials. When comparing a Web-based and a paper-based decision aid with no previsit education, exposure to either decision aid increased the patient's involvement in the decision-making process, with 56 percent of those exposed to the Web-based aid and 54 percent of those exposed to the brochure reporting an active decision-making role. The authors conclude from these findings that the decision aid improved two elements of shared decision making knowledge of the disease and of screening but it is unclear whether the aid improved consideration of patients' values and engagement in the decision at the desired level.

Patient Education on Prostate Cancer Screening and Involvement in Decision Making
By Alex H. Krist, M.D., M.P.H., et al.

OPIOID ADDICTION CAN BE TREATED IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS

Opioid-addicted patients can be treated effectively in nonresearch primary care settings with limited on-site resources, but greater numbers of patients should have access to buprenorphine-naloxone treatment. In a study of 99 patients enrolled in buprenorphine-naloxone treatment for opioid dependence at two urban primary care practices, 54 percent were sober at six months. There was no significant correlation between sobriety and site of
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Contact: Kristin Robinson
kristinr@aafp.org
913-906-6000, ext. 5221
American Academy of Family Physicians
26-Mar-2007