The Preventive Medicine and Medical Preparedness Committee of the ACOFP mission is to develop and disseminate effective strategies for implementing preventive care in the family practice office, to actively recruit and involve patients in their own health risk assessment and care, to train and inform family physicians in disaster preparedness and to incorporate family physicians in national disaster planning.  The committee has sponsored lectures at the annual ACOFP Meetings and this past meeting presented a display on the exhibit floor.  Any participation or suggestions are appreciated from any ACOFP members.

According to the CDC unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 1- 19. The most common injury is a motor vehicle crash. In younger children, approximately half of those who died in car accidents were unrestrained. Community programs to educate parents about proper restraint have helped to reduce the number of motor vehicle fatalities. Teenagers are involved in about 12% of the nation’s automotive accidents. They are more likely to die in these accidents than adults. They are more likely to choose to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Graduated driver laws in most states have helped to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents involving teens. The CDC website has a host of information about injuries and guides to promoting community programs to reduce their burden. If you have not visited the website at www.cdc.gov please take time to do so.

October is breast cancer awareness month. Time to encourage ladies to get their mammograms. According to the American Cancer Society website, American women have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. It is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death behind lung cancer. Yearly mammograms have been shown to find cancers early and increase the chance for survival. The American Cancer Society has a website that is very user friendly and full of patient oriented information. Encourage your patients to browse www.cancer.org.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 7% of the US population has diabetes. There are many more who have not yet been diagnosed. The amount of obesity in the nation has been increasing and so has the risk of diabetes. Encouraging healthy eating, exercise and weight loss in your patients can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has some wonderful handouts that you can reprint and use in your office. Their website www.diabetes.org has both patient and physician information. The site also features a section aimed at children with both Type1 and Type 2 diabetes. The site encourages consumers to assess their own risk for diabetes and to make healthy lifestyle changes. The site also gives you links to other sites for diabetes information. One such site is www.thinklikeapancreas.com which is specifically meant for teens and addresses many of the questions and concerns that teens with diabetes can face.

The deadline for the next writing contest will be Jan 2008. The paper should be about a preventive medicine topic. Students, interns and residents are invited to submit papers.