Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders.

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders are the most common symptomatic joint hypermobility conditions seen in clinical practice. The 2017 International Classification of the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes replaced previous terms for symptomatic joint hypermobility with hypermobile EDS and introduced the term hypermobility spectrum disorders for patients not meeting diagnostic criteria for hypermobile EDS. Both are diagnosed by applying the 2017 diagnostic criteria, which also excludes other less common conditions presenting with joint hypermobility such as other forms of EDS and heritable connective tissue disorders.

Diagnosis of acute stroke.

Stroke can be categorized as ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Awakening with or experiencing the abrupt onset of focal neurologic deficits is the hallmark of the diagnosis of ischemic stroke. The most common presenting symptoms of ischemic stroke are speech disturbance and weakness on one-half of the body.

Diagnostic approach to patients with tinnitus.

Tinnitus, a common symptom encountered in family medicine, is defined as the perception of noise in the absence of an acoustic stimulus outside of the body. Because tinnitus is a symptom and not a disease, its underlying cause must be determined to best help patients. Although tinnitus is often idiopathic, sensorineural hearing loss is the most common identified cause.

Updating clinical knowledge: an evaluation of current information alerting services.

Purpose: Clinicians are overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of new clinical information that is available on a daily basis. Despite the availability of information tools for finding this information and for updating clinical knowledge, no study has examined the quality of current information alerting services.

Methods: We developed a 7-item checklist based on the principles of evidence-based medicine and assessed content validity with experts and face validity with practicing clinicians and clinician researchers.

Institutional support for handheld computing: clinical and educational lessons learned.

Handheld computing devices, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), are used often in the health care setting. They provide a convenient way to store and carry either personal or reference information and can be used to accomplish other tasks associated with patient care. This article reports clinical and educational lessons learned from a longitudinal institutional initiative designed to provide medical students with PDAs to facilitate patient care and assist with clinical learning.

A systematic process to prioritize prevention activities sustaining progress toward the reduction of military injuries.

Background: To sustain progress toward injury reduction and other health promotion goals, public health organizations need a systematic approach based on data and an evaluation of existing scientific evidence on prevention. This paper describes a process and criteria developed to systematically and objectively define prevention program and policy priorities.

Methods: Military medical surveillance data were obtained and summarized, and a working group of epidemiology and injury experts was formed.

Acute stroke diagnosis.

Stroke can be categorized as ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Awakening with or experiencing the abrupt onset of focal neurologic deficits is the hallmark of ischemic stroke diagnosis. The most common presenting symptoms for ischemic stroke are difficulty with speech and weakness on one half of the body.

Learning PDA skills online is feasible and acceptable to clerkship students.

Background: The feasibility and acceptability of teaching medical students to use PDA clinical decision support tools via a Web-based course have not been previously evaluated.

Methods: A total of 119 third-year family medicine clerkship students completed a baseline survey on PDA use, attended an introductory PDA lecture, and were invited to voluntarily access a Web-based course through Blackboard. All students had been previously issued with PDAs in their second year.

Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects more than 26 million adults in the United States. Family physicians provide care for most of these patients. Cigarette smoking is the leading risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although other risk factors, including occupational and environmental exposures, account for up to one in six cases.

Teaching evidence-based medicine skills: an exploratory study of residency graduates' practice habits.

Background And Objectives: The long-term effect of teaching critical appraisal (CA) and evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills is unknown. This study explores long-term behaviors and learner satisfaction after a 3-year longitudinal CA/EBM curriculum.

Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 1996-1998 graduates of an academic family medicine residency program with an established CA/EBM curriculum.