Katie Eder, Managing Editor

Many studies that inform current international guidelines for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are of poor quality and lack applicability in clinical practice.

Although the true prevalence of shoulder disorders in general practice remains unknown, an analysis of ultrasound imaging reports offers physicians some insight into the underlying causes of shoulder pain.

Although many physicians currently snap, store, and share clinical photographs on their smartphones, they often neglect to ask patients for permission to do so.

Although tumor necrosis factor inhibitors have dramatically improved management strategies for autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, the biologic agents also pose a number of significant side effects that physicians must consider.

Although many physicians currently utilize a mobile device to communicate more efficiently with colleagues and patients, most of them neither consider the substantial privacy and security risks involved with text messaging, nor include the health information they send and receive via text message in their medical records.

Designated "meaningful users" of electronic health record systems do not deliver improved care for common chronic diseases.

Although it is believed to help counteract joint and cartilage deterioration in osteoarthritis (OA), glucosamine supplementation is no more effective than placebo in preventing knee degeneration in patients with chronic knee pain.

In an effort to identify when and where to target interventions for reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and related bacterial resistance, a new study has described the trends and seasonal variations in antibiotic prescription rates throughout primary care settings.

Medical hazards related to the use of health information technology (HIT) currently pose the biggest threat to patient safety, according to the inaugural industry report from the nonprofit ECRI Institute.

Although the primary outcomes of the US National Institutes of Health Women's Health Initiative trial suggested daily calcium plus vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced hip fracture in postmenopausal women, a follow-up investigation found no difference in hip fracture incidence between the study's supplement and placebo groups nearly 5 years after the intervention phase ended.

Given the well-known popularity of mobile medical apps among physicians and doctors-in-training alike, new research has gauged the lesser-known impact of the apps on clinical practice.

Redesigning medication alerts with healthcare providers in mind would reduce prescribing errors and increase the efficiency of electronic medical records.

The Institute of Medicine recently released a list of core social and behavioral health factors it suggests should be captured in all electronic health records to help healthcare providers more effectively influence patient outcomes.

Noting the management and treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) are currently subpar in the primary care setting, 2 researchers recently reviewed and outlined key clinical considerations for the chronic neuropathic pain syndrome.

Administering 2 so-called pregnancy hormones simultaneously in patients suffering from intractable pain may significantly reduce their opioid use, pain, and flare intensity.

Initiating testosterone therapy in healthy older men substantially increases their risk of myocardial infarction, according to a cohort study published in PLOS One.

Adopting new best-practice approaches to dementia care would decrease caregiver burden, rule out onerous treatments, and improve the quality of care for older adults with Alzheimer's disease, but the current primary care structure is an obstacle to implementation.

New research suggests elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation programs have improved 10-year survival.

Among Medicare beneficiaries with 4 or more pain medicine providers, concurrent opioid prescribing is common and significantly associated with increased rates of hospital admission related to narcotic use.

In a recent pilot study, primary care providers (PCPs) who regularly consulted with pain management specialists through telehealth technology wrote fewer prescriptions for the high-dose, short-acting opioid analgesics that are widely associated with greater rates of addiction and overdose.

Nearly two-thirds of family physicians would not purchase their current electronic health record (EHR) system again due to poor functionality and high costs, according to new data that discovered alarming disconnect between care providers' health information technology needs and the present state of EHR technology.

New evidence-based consensus recommendations provide guidance for practitioners on non-surgical treatment options that are appropriate or inappropriate for knee osteoarthritis patients.

Although few treatment options are currently available for adult patients with brittle bone disease, a recent study found an anabolic treatment for osteoporosis also increases hip and spine bone mineral density in osteogenesis imperfecta patients, especially those with a milder form of the disorder.

Similar to its effect in non-diabetic patients with low testosterone, sildenafil citrate correlates with improvements in testosterone levels and erectile function among hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In a real-world sample of patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF), hyponatremia predicted clinical complications during admission, but it was not linked to short-term mortality or readmission.

The use of electronic health records during primary care office visits yields physician-patient communication patterns that differ from those observed with paper charts.

Electronic medical records and e-prescribing software have surpassed discussions with colleagues as the top source of information for physicians.

In a recent study, physicians-in-training gave the iPad low marks for efficiency in documenting patient progress, though they saw value in using the mobile tablet as a research tool.

Although an increasing number of studies focus on health information technology (HIT), a recent review of those reports revealed many HIT components lack sufficient evidence on the effects of their implementation.

Displaying the real-time costs of common laboratory tests through electronic health records (EHR) can help physicians cut back on excessive ordering.