Vol XXII, February `06

Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN) President Bernard Ewigman, MD, MSPH, will be telling his audience in the General Session on Friday, March 17, about the importance of partnerships--such as the one between the FPIN and the Foundation Research Network--to facilitating research studies that can be translated into practice and quality patient care. "We want everyone to know about what this relationship means to long term care research and how the partnership will enable us to understand what the important research questions are for physicians practicing in long term care," he said. "The FPIN approach is to get involved in clinical issues and questions via organized teams of libraries, authors, peer reviewers, and so on to get the best information. The Foundation Research Network will employ the same process using our infrastructure. I urge AMDA members to get involved in the Network and to be part of these activities."

Research can be very satisfying for practicing physicians, Ewigman explained, adding, "For most physicians, the most interesting research is that which can solve problems in clinical practice." Being involved in such studies through groups such as the Foundation Research Network, Ewigman noted, "adds a little spice to their lives, and helping to find answers is very rewarding." Because such work is so exciting for physicians, "practice-based research networks--such as the AMDA Foundation's--have become quite a phenomenon."

The FPIN leader offered several examples of small studies that have made a big difference for practitioners:

• A study in Oklahoma demonstrated that brown recluse spider bites don't always present as painful, red, necrotic areas on the skin. Instead, they range from these types of wounds to small inflamed spots. Knowing this enabled Oklahoma physicians to identify these spider bites--which are common statewide--quicker and treat them promptly and aggressively.
• A physician frustrated by leg swelling in a number of patients discovered through a study that while this commonly is a sign of venous insufficiency, in many cases, the swelling actually is the result of pulmonary hypertension. The study led to another question, when the physician uncovered the fact that many of these patients also had obstructive sleep apnea.

"We are right on target with the types of grassroots initiatives pursued by FPIN and the Research Network. The timing couldn't be better," Ewigman exclaimed. Click here to see a schedule of all Foundation-related activities scheduled for the Annual Symposium.