Primary Care Today

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) bring unique challenges to the primary care practice environment and require personalized therapeutic approaches to address both psychiatric and somatic health issues. Dr. Jill Fenske, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, joins Dr. Brian McDonough to guide clinicians toward a better understanding of this complex disorder with multiple varied manifestations.

Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Jonathan Firnhaber, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at East Carolina University School of Medicine, to provide top recommendations for prevention, assessment, and treatment of skin cancer at the primary care level.

Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Gail L. Torkildsen, staff ophthalmologist at Andover Eye Associates and one of the leading Dry Eye Principal Investigators in the world. Dr. Torkildsen has served as P.I. on over 20 client-sponsored Dry Eye studies since 2002. In this discussion she takes listeners on a tour of common eye problems faced in primary care, and how clinicians can better prepare themselves to address issues such as Meibobian gland disorders, blepharitis, dry eyes, and conjunctivitis with greater confidence.

Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Tina Thethi, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the section of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Tulane University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Thethi provides the inside scoop on diabetes topics of particular interest to endocrinologists in practice today, from pre-diabetes management to continuous glucose monitoring to novel drug research and development.

A clinical pearl in the arena of eye care is that serious eye problems tend to manifest serious symptoms and signs, which makes vision loss one of the key findings in a diagnostic workup. Yet vision testing is commonly neglected in primary care practice even when patients present with eye-related complaints. What are the most important steps a clinician can take when assessing eye problems, and where does the primary care practitioner fit into the ophthalmologic care continuum? Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Sumitra Khandelwal, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, to examine the top issues in eye care for generalists and ophthalmic specialists.

From patient consultation services to remote physician visits, telemedicine is rapidly gaining a foothold in clincial practice. But what are the potential gains vs pitfalls for integrating these technologies at the primary care level? Dr. Mark Seraly, practicing dermatologist and founder of DermatologistOnCall.com, joins Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss clinical, operational, and financial trends in telemedicine today.

Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Atul Grover, MD, PhD, Chief Public Policy Officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to discuss the looming physician shortage in the US and what needs to be done now to positively impact that shortage ten years down the road.

Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Donovan Green, personal trainer and author of No Excuses Fitness, to Primary Care Today. Mr. Green talks about practical, brass tacks strategies for getting in shape, starting with the basic primer to just get people moving regardless of fitness level.

Case-based simulator software is fast becoming the hottest and most innovative form of medical education in clinical training programs today. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to update listeners on the origins, rapid evolution, and future horizons of medical simulation is Douglas Seifert, Founder and CEO of Syandus Inc. Syandus is a leading provider of intelligent simulation learning technologies, and its health education programs offer doctors a "learn by doing" gaming approach to improving clinical decision-making skills.

As an unforgivingly cold, frigid winter in America has led to the explosive release of tree pollens over a short period this spring, seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Says, Dr Mitchell Gaynor, clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, this could make for one of the worst allergy seasons of all time. How can primary care providers ready themselves on the frontlines of this mass allergy assault? Dr. Brian McDonough and Dr. Gaynor discuss strategies to keep clinicians on top of this emerging threat, including new understandings of eco-genetic mechanisms of allergic disease.