PHYSICIANS OFFICE NEWS BRIEFS
account patients' socioeconomic and
cultural backgrounds and should always be
prepared to suggest some trustworthy
information sources.
"Only by developing a trusting relationship
with our patients will we learn of their
concerns, be able to address them, and
hopefully continue to help our patients avoid
these devastating but preventable diseases,"
Brown and colleagues conclude.
C
annabis May Cause Heart
Problems in Young Adults
Young adults who use cannabis
may experience serious,
sometimes fatal, cardiovascular
complications, according to research
published online April 23 in the Journal of the
American Heart Association.
Emilie Jouanjus, Pharm.D., Ph.D., of the Centre
Hospitalier Universitaire in Toulouse, France, and
colleagues analyzed data from a national
database of the French Addictovigilance Network
for 35 recent reports of cardiovascular
complications following cannabis use.
The researchers found that, from 2006 to
cardiovascular event led to death.
"Practitioners should be aware that
cannabis may be a potential triggering factor
for cardiovascular complications in young
people," the authors write.
The French InterMinisterial Mission for
the Fight Against Drugs and Addiction
funded the study.
E
Changes in medical education and
training are suggested to help new
physicians address the needs of patients and
their families, according to an ideas and
opinions piece published in the April 22 issue
of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Steven E. Weinberger, M.D., from the
American College of Physicians in
Philadelphia, and colleagues suggest changes
in medical education and the training
environment that could possibly produce
physicians who are better able to address the
needs of patients and their families.
To transform the process and experiences
of training, the authors note that training
programs and faculty, together with patient
and family advisors and leaders, should
design and implement a concrete action plan
with specific steps. These steps could include
incorporation of patients and families into
traditional education and care routines such
as work or walk rounds, promoting active
participation of patients and families. In
addition, the patient's voice should be
included in clinical and educational
discussions and clinical documentation. Ward
rounds, conferences, and teaching rounds
could all incorporate patient and family
perspectives with respect to specific
conditions; such discussions should consider
a patient's perspective and the impact of
illness and treatment on patients and their
families. Furthermore, real-time formative
feedback from patients could be included as
part of the training environment.
"We must change the culture of the
training environment as well as the
expectations of both trainees and faculty to
understand and address patient and family
perspectives," the authors write.
2010, 3 Ԁ