Adolescence is a period of tremendous growth and development, not only physically but emotionally and psychosocially. Understanding the health care issues unique to adolescents and how to best approach these issues will benefit both the health care provider and the adolescent patient. We will look at cases that highlight some problems that primary care providers may encounter in their practices.

This session will focus on the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in the ambulatory setting, with an emphasis on new developments in the last year. It will cover: measurement of exhaled nitric oxide in the diagnosis and assessment of asthma, safety of long-acting beta-agonists in the treatment of asthma, use of long-acting anticholinergic bronchodilators for asthma, and novel biologic therapies for asthma. We will also review teaching the use of inhalers in asthma, including metered-dose inhalers, dry-powder inhalers, breath-actuated inhalers, and soft-mist inhalers.

Fatigue is a very common presenting symptom in primary care but a small subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have persistent fatigue accompanied by multisystem complaints of unrefreshed sleep, post-exertional malaise, orthostatic symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Those with widespread pain and tenderness fit an alternative diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Both are severely debilitating illnesses of uncertain cause. This lecture discusses the evolving concepts regarding CFS and its relationship to FM. Diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

This lecture will provide up to date evaluation and management of common musculoskeletal injuries in competitive and recreational athletes. This information will also be applicable to the all patient populations who participate in individual and team sporting activities. The lecture is designed for family physicians, internists, sports medicine physicians in a clinic or nonoperative/noninvasive setting. At the end of this session the participant would have gained a more comprehensive understanding of common sports medicine injuries , return to play protocols and appropriate referral patterns for surgical intervention. The Presenter will rely on evidence based medicine where available.

Many physicians consciously (or unconsciously) avoid talking to patients about weight loss, although 70% of American adults are overweight or obese. Meanwhile, the public is constantly bombarded with “solutions” that don’t work from friends, social media, and beyond. How can we compete with that volume of misinformation in a fifteen-minute office visit? There are two tools that can empower providers to address obesity in an effective and efficient manner: motivational interviewing and dietary recalls. This talk will teach the basic introductory skills needed to immediately incorporate these interventions into your practice. Additionally, this talk will address the popular gluten-free diet, and how it may or may not help patients beyond those diagnosed with celiac disease. The more physicians prioritize dietary interventions, the more our patients will, too.

The amount of information available in the form of clinical trials and cohort studies is overwhelming, especially for primary care clinicians. Moreover, practice guidelines do not always reflect what is feasible or even best practice in specific clinical settings. This session will highlight some of the strongest research and guidelines that may alter clinical practice, with a focus on literature published in the past year. Every participant should take away several practical points that help them provide better patient care. The session will have an interactive component, which will allow for different perspectives and collective wisdom to make the best use of current evidence.

This talk will focus on several pulmonary topics that often arise in the primary care setting. I have chosen these topics based on scenarios that are common and confusing. For instance, I will review my approach to patients who come to clinic with a diagnosis of asthma for whom the clinical suspicion is low including spirometry and methacholine challenge interpretation. Next, we will review the evidence for using long term oxygen therapy in respiratory patients including the various oxygen delivery systems. I will also cover the approach to chronic cough when the typical therapies have failed to improve symptoms. I will finish with the current evidence and approach to lung cancer screening. If time remains we will answers additional questions from the audience.

This lecture will update the primary care provider (PCP) on current treatments for diabetic retinopathy, hypertension-related eye conditions, and glaucoma. These three entities are common conditions seen in many of our patients, and a better understanding of the current treatment patterns will improve communication between primary care and ophthalmology. Increasing the specialty knowledge base of the PCPs allows for better co-management and patient education of disease process, management options, and prognosis.

Public and even healthcare professionals commonly misunderstand Palliative Care as Hospice Care. Primary Care Providers (PCP) are the frontline professionals caring for the patients who are chronically ill with declining trajectory as their diseases become incurable and progressive. It is very important that PCPs recognize palliative care needs of these patients and their families as well as to address those “basic” needs such as pain and symptoms management, discussion of goals of care and advance care planning in timely and effectively at point of care. It is also important to identify those whom may benefit from expertise by palliative specialists and to make appropriate and timely referral. The talk focuses on basic knowledge of palliative care and skills such as management of common symptoms and communication skills essential in addressing those needs in primary care clinical settings. The talk also provides strategies to prioritize competing issues during rather short primary care encounters and to address these issues effectively. To highlight clinical problems, case discussion format is used, and relevant evidence-based references are included.

Join this talk for an enlightening look at health system waste and failures. Dr. Nash will provide an essential road map connecting high-value care to population health. With this model, participants will be equipped to evaluate and improve the future of patient engagement.This presentation will (1) provide an update on criteria to diagnose osteoporosis and identification of persons at high risk of fracture; (2) review treatment guidelines; and (3) discuss new concepts regarding treatment, such as drug selection, duration of treatment, drug holidays, and standard treatment approach vs. goal-directed treatment.

This is a clinical bedside approach to the patient with multiple aches and pains based on determining the target of inflammation in the joint and the distribution of affected joints. Using this approach, we can sort out non-inflammatory arthritis as represented by osteoarthritis from inflammatory synovitis (rheumatoid arthritis), inflammatory enthesitis (ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis), and non-inflammatory rheumatic conditions like fibromyalgia. The use of x-rays, ultrasound, and MRI and common laboratory studies like ESR, CRP, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP, and ANA will be discussed.

Ear problems are among the most common head and neck issues seen in primary care. This presentation will review common ear problems that cause auditory and vestibular balance issues. The speaker will expand on conductive and sensorineural hearing loss as well as pathology resulting in vestibular dysfunction. This presentation will include both pediatric and adult clinical conditions and identify common pitfalls to avoid in the clinical management of these conditions.