News Release

Tip sheet and summaries Annals of Family Medicine September/October 2025

Peer-Reviewed Publication

American Academy of Family Physicians

Original Research

Combining Medicare Wellness Visits With Problem-Based Visits Reduces No-Show Rates and Closes Screening Gaps 

Background and Goal: A recurrent barrier to Medicare annual wellness visits, which provide preventative medicine guidance for older and disabled patients, occurs when patients introduce medical concerns to physicians during these preventative visits. In this study, researchers scheduled combined visits in a single, longer slot with patients’ regularly seen clinicians and used allowed billing rules so both visits could count to see if they could increase the percentage of annual wellness visits completed and the quality measures captured. 

Study Approach: A family medicine department with five clinics ran a nine-month quality improvement effort for patients aged 65 and older on Medicare. The department team started booking longer 40-minute “combined” appointments so patients could complete the Medicare annual wellness visit and, if needed, have regular medical issues handled in the same visit with their regularly seen physician. The team then tracked, month by month, how many eligible patients got a wellness visit, how often people missed appointments, and how many screenings, tests, and vaccines were ordered, comparing results with the nine months before the change to see what improved.

Main Results:

  • Medicare wellness visits increased from 8.4% to 50.8% over nine months.

  • No-show rates were lower for combined visits than annual wellness-only visits (11.9% vs 19.6%).

  • Patients had lower no-show rates for annual wellness visits with their regular physician than a different clinician.

  • Orders and screenings increased across many measures, including depression, falls, pain, breast/cervical/colorectal/lung cancer, DEXA, A1c, urine microalbumin, Hep C, HIV and pneumococcal.

Why It Matters: The findings suggest scheduling longer, combined visits with patients’ usual physicians may help increase the completion of annual wellness visits, reduce no shows, and close screening gaps, while still fitting within existing Medicare billing rules.

 Optimizing Medicare Annual Wellness Visits Through Quality Improvement: Leveraging Process, Continuity, and Combined Visits 

Courtney D. Wellman, MD, et al

Department of Family and Community Health, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia

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Original Research

16-Year Study Indicates Rising Patient Complexity and Fewer Patients Seen Per Day in Alberta Primary Care

Background and goal: In this study, researchers examined changes over time in characteristics of adults cared for by family physicians from 2004 to 2020 in Alberta, Canada, along with trends in family physicians and their practice patterns for adults over 18 years old. 

Study approach: Using linked administrative health data, including physician billing claims and hospital/ambulatory data, the researchers created annual, population-based snapshots from 2004 to 2020 of adults seeing family physicians providing comprehensive care. They tracked patient mix (age, number of chronic conditions, mental health and substance-use conditions) and physician workload (number of clinic days providing primary care, patient contacts per clinic day, and unique adult patients cared for per year).

Main results

  • The number of female physicians increased from 39% in 2004 to 46.7% in 2020, and graduates trained in low- and middle-income countries rose from 6.3% to 17.2%.

  • The proportion of individuals aged 61-80 grew from 16.1% to 22.1%, and those with more than five chronic conditions nearly doubled.

  • There were changes in physician practice over time including decreases in average days worked each year (167 in 2004, 156 in 2020), and the average number of adult visits per clinic day fell from 23 to 20.

Why It Matters: These system level shifts help explain access pressures in primary care and offer a clear signal for health systems to use in workforce planning and resource allocation to meet rising patient complexity.  

Changes in Family Physicians Over Time in Alberta, Canada: A 16-Year Population-Based Cohort Study

Braden J. Manns, MD, Msc, et al

Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Original Research

“Light-Touch” EHR Referral Strategy Connects Patients With Prediabetes to Community-Based Diabetes Prevention Programs

Background and Goal: This study tested whether a referral order inside the Epic electronic health record (EHR) could help primary care clinicians refer patients to community-based diabetes prevention programs (DPPs), an important public health strategy to reduce incident type 2 diabetes, and whether patients enrolled  after referral.

Study Approach: A large health system in Michigan developed and implemented an order in their Epic EHR that allowed clinicians to refer patients to community-based DPPs offered by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, which then reached out to patients about nearby DPP classes. The researchers then reviewed 13 months of real-world use, looking at how many eligible patients were referred and enrolled, how many clinics and clinicians used the order, whether referrals met eligibility criteria, and whether referral activity was sustained over time.

Main Results:

  • Clinicians referred 577 patients to the diabetes prevention program. Of those, 21% (122 people) enrolled.

  • Of the 350 primary care clinicians the project targeted, 30% (108) used the eReferral at least once.

  • In total, 124 clinicians placed referrals. However, a small group of only 14 clinicians, accounted for over half of all referrals.

  • Most of the referred patients met the program's eligibility rules (over age 18, BMI ≥25, and prediabetes or a history of gestational diabetes).

Why It Matters: The study findings demonstrate that a "light-touch" intervention can be successfully integrated into clinical workflows, laying the groundwork for future adjustments and refinements to enhance its effectiveness. 

 Use of an Electronic Health Record Order to Directly Refer Patients With Prediabetes to Community-Based Diabetes Prevention Programs

Dina H. Griauzde, MD, MSc

VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Original Research

High Educational Debt and Long Work Hours Are Associated With Burnout Symptoms in Early-Career Family Physicians

Background and Goal: This study examined whether higher educational debt among physicians is associated with more hours worked per week and whether both are independently associated with burnout symptoms among early-career family physicians.

Study Approach: Researchers linked the American Board of Family Medicine Initial Certification Questionnaire (2017 to 2020) to its National Graduate Survey about three years later (2020 to 2023) to form a cohort of 4,905 U.S. early-career family physicians in outpatient continuity care. Educational debt at graduation was grouped as none, under $150,000, $150,000 to $250,000, $250,000 to $350,000, and over $350,000. Weekly work hours were grouped as under 40, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and 60 or more. Respondents were classified as having symptoms of burnout by reporting at least weekly to either of two single-item questions. 

Main Results:

  • Out of 4,905 early-career family physicians, about 18% had no educational debt, and about 16% owed more than $350,000.

  • Physicians with higher debt tended to work more hours per week.

  • The more hours a physician worked, the more likely they were to report burnout symptoms.

  • In unadjusted analyses, burnout symptoms increased stepwise with debt. After adjustment analyses, physicians with $250,000–$350,000 and those with more than $350,000 had higher odds of reporting burnout symptoms compared with those with no debt.

  • Compared with working under 40 hours per week, working 60 or more hours a week was linked to nearly three times the odds of reporting burnout symptoms. 

Why It Matters: Finding ways to reduce educational debt burden on early-career family physicians may potentially reduce burnout symptoms.  

Relationships of Educational Debt With Hours Worked and Burnout Symptoms Among Early-Career Family Physicians 

Dean A. Seehusen, MD, MPH, et al 

Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia

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Original Research

Adding Pharmacy Technicians to Primary Care Teams Helps Manage Medication Access 

Background and Goal: This study examined whether adding pharmacy technicians to primary care teams relieved clinicians and nurses of medication-access tasks and improved perceptions of burden, quality of care and patient access.

Study Approach: Researchers conducted a retrospective, mixed-methods study one year after deploying five primary care pharmacy technicians across 11 clinics in a large urban safety-net network. They analyzed electronic health records (EHR) from June 2023 to May 2024 to track the number and type of medication tasks the technicians handled. Clinic staff were surveyed. The survey included a 0 to 10 “pain point” rating of medication access work before and after technician deployment; estimated hours saved per month; perceived impact on work experience, quality of care and patient access, and open-ended responses.

Main Results:

  • In 12 months, five pharmacy technicians handled 43,782 medication items (65% refills, 18% medication problems, 17% prior authorizations).

  • Average ratings of “medication access work as a pain point” (0 to 10 scale) decreased from 8.3 before to 3.6 after pharmacy technician deployment.

  • Themes from open-ended questions described pharmacy technicians dealing with prior authorizations, communicating with pharmacies, timely medication access for patients, expertise of pharmacy technicians, and reduced task burden/ greater efficiency.

Why It Matters: The findings from this study suggest pharmacy technicians can be an asset for team- based primary care, bringing expertise in efficiently managing medication access processes that benefits clinician and nurse work experience and patient access to medications.

Impact of Pharmacy Technicians on Clinician and Nurse Work Experience in Primary Care 

Anusha McNamara, Pharm D, et al

San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California

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Original Research

Pre-Visit Questionnaire With EHR Integration Improves Family History Documentation and Supports Prevention and Referrals in Primary Care

Background and Goal: This study evaluated whether a pre-visit, patient-completed family history questionnaire that automatically uploads to the electronic health record (EHR) and triggers a same-day notification for family physicians improves family history documentation and subsequent conversations.

Study Approach: Researchers ran a six-month, matched hybrid effectiveness–implementation study in three primary care practices affiliated with the University of Toronto Practice-based Research Network (UTOPIAN). Intervention-group family physicians and patients received brief education on the importance of family history. Usual care served as the control. For fair comparison, intervention physicians and patients were matched to similar controls. The primary measure was any new or updated family history entry within 30 days of the visit; secondary measures included disease-specific entries, reported actions (screening, referrals, counseling), and patient and clinician feedback.

Main Results: Fifteen family physicians and 576 patients in the intervention group were matched with 15 family physicians and 2,203 patients in the control group.

  • Within 30 days of the visit, new family history was documented in the EHR by their family physician for 16.1% of intervention patients and 0.2% control patients.

  • Within 30 days of the visit, 7.8% of intervention patients and 0.1% of control patients had documentation of at least one of the following cancers: breast, ovarian, colorectal, prostate, or melanoma.

  • The majority (72%) of intervention patients who attended their appointment indicated discussing family history with their family physician at the visit.

  • Intervention patients reported receiving screening recommendations (24.5%), lifestyle advice (7.8%), referrals to non-genetics specialists (7.5%), and genetics referrals (about 2%).

Why It Matters: Better documentation of family history can support more personalized prevention and referrals when needed.  

An Innovative Strategy for Collecting Family Health History: An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial in Primary Care Clinics

 June C. Carroll, MD, CCFP, FCFP, et al

 Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health, Granovsky Gluskin Family Medicine Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Original Research

Practice-Level Metric Provides “Big-Picture” Look That May Reduce Unnecessary  Antibiotic Use in Arkansas Medicaid PCMHs

Background and Goal: In this study, researchers developed, implemented and measured a claims-based, practice-level performance measure to calculate, track and influence antibiotic prescribing variation across Arkansas Medicaid’s patient-centered medical home (PCMH) program.

Study Approach: This retrospective, observational study used 2019–2021 outpatient antibiotic paid claims, attributing each claim to the clinic’s patient-centered medical home (PCMH) panel in Arkansas Medicaid. Every practice received a quarterly report card showing its antibiotic rate—paid claims per 1,000 attributed patients per year—and how it compared with other PCMHs. Clinics were labeled high, middle or low prescribers based on 2019 and then tracked through 2020 and 2021. The researchers then compared Arkansas Medicaid rates with Arkansas and U.S. all-payer rates from IQVIA data that CDC publishes every year.

Main Results: Out of 216 PCMH sites, 176 were included in the analysis.

  • The 2019, 2020, and 2021 cohort prescription rates were 1,089, 785, and 853 per 1,000 attributed patients.

  • In 2021, PCMH rates were lower than Arkansas all-payer rates but higher than U.S. all-payer rates.

  • The clinics that prescribed the least antibiotics had a rate of 720 prescriptions per 1,000 patients in 2019 and 564 in 2021, while the clinics that prescribed the most had a rate of 1,491 per 1,000 patients in 2019 and 1,140 in 2021.

  • Pediatric claims decreased by 25% and adult age groups decreased by 15% in 2021 compared with 2019.

  • Rates fell during the years of the COVID pandemic. Without a comparison group, the report cards’ specific effect is unknown.

Why It Matters: Providing a big picture look of a clinic's prescribing habits may help clinics keep an eye on and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions as well as identify clinical outliers for data feedback and quality improvement interventions.

Measurement of Practice-Level Antibiotic Utilization in a Medicaid Patient-Centered Medical Home Program

Jill Johnson, Pharm D, BCPS, et al

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas

Pre-Embargo Link (temporary)

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Original Research

Study Identifies Functions to Expect From Interdisciplinary Care Teams Delivering Whole Person Substance Use Disorder Care for Pregnant People

Background and Goal: This study set out to identify the professionals, roles, and core functions of interdisciplinary teams that serve pregnant people with substance use disorders and describe how those functions are organized across different settings. 

Study Approach: Researchers conducted a qualitative observational study in Oregon at seven organizations that implemented Project Nurture and Nurture Oregon, integrated team-based care models that bring medical, behavioral health and substance use treatment services together to provide care for pregnant people with substance use disorders. From 2021 to 2024, researchers observed 119 program meetings, conducted six in-person site visits, and held 66 semi-structured interviews with leaders and team members.

Main Results:

  • The seven organizations varied in ownership, type (medical, substance use treatment, behavioral health), and rurality.

  • Researchers identified 14 core functions grouped into five areas: medical care, behavioral health care, coordination and resources, support and engagement, and quality-improvement leadership.

  • Functions were carried out by family physicians or certified nurse midwives, registered nurses, medical assistants, licensed clinical social workers, certified alcohol and drug counselors, peer support professionals, and doulas.

  • All teams provided care coordination, outreach and engagement, referral to specialists, transitional care, community resource connection, social and emotional support, advocacy, and quality improvement activity.

  • Only one behavioral health and one substance use treatment organization carried out the medical care functions; one of these organizations had a family physician on the team. 

Why It Matters: The study findings identify functions that state leaders and policy makers, payers, health care organizations leaders and individuals should expect from an interdisciplinary care team delivering whole person substance use disorder care to pregnant people.  

Functions of Interdisciplinary Primary Care Teams That Support Pregnant People With Substance Use Disorders

Deborah J. Cohen, PhD, et al 

Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon

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Methodology 

Current Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Differences of Sex Development Measures in Federal Health Surveys

Background and Goal: Federal health surveys are a key source for understanding health needs in the U.S., including the needs of people in LGBTQ+ community. This methodology paper characterized the current landscape of measures capturing sexual orientation, gender identity, and differences of sex development in federal health surveys, detailing when and how the information was collected.

Approach: Researchers scanned 10 large federal health surveys and did a content analysis of each survey’s materials. They recorded whether and when surveys included sexual orientation questions, whether gender identity was measured, how stable the items were over time, and whether any survey identified differences of sex development, or intersex status. They highlighted changes that occurred after 2022. The article was submitted in September, 2024.    

Main Results:

  • Sexual orientation questions were asked in nine out of 10 surveys. Several surveys began collecting sexual orientation in the mid-2010s. Unique standouts included the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), which had over 20 years of sexual orientation data collection.

  • Seven of the ten surveys ask about gender identity, with four adding those questions only within the last two years. Some include a separate sex-assigned-at-birth item, while others do not or ask only whether a person is transgender.

  • Differences of sex development questions are almost absent. Only one survey, All of Us, included a way to identify people with differences of sex development.  

Why It Matters: Having standard, sustained sexual orientation, gender identity, and differences of sex development measures in federal surveys would make it easier to identify and track disparities, plan studies, and evaluate interventions.

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Differences of Sex Development Measures in Federal Health Surveys: Implications for Primary Care Research and Practice

Thomas M. Freitag, MPP 

Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Yalda Jabbarpour, MD

Robert Graham Center, Washington, DC 

Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC

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Research Brief

More Low-Income Adults Reported Having a Usual Source of Care After the Affordable Care Act

Background and Goal: Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), uninsured and low-income adults were less likely to have a usual source of care due to cost, coverage, and access barriers. This study evaluated changes in the prevalence of usual sources of care and the reasons for lacking one before and after ACA implementation.  

Study Approach: Researchers analyzed 2010 to 2017 data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component (MEPS-HC), a nationally representative survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population. The study sample included 36,738 adults ages 18 to 64 and was divided into pre-ACA (2010-2013) and post-ACA (2014-2017) implementation. The primary outcome was self-reported usual source of care status and, if none existed, the main reason why. 

Main Results:

  • The national usual source of care rose from 67% to 68% after the ACA, with the largest gains among low-income adults in both rural (+4.96 percentage points) and urban (+2.45 percentage points) areas. Reports by urban high-income adults declined slightly (-1.98 percentage points) while rural high-income adults showed no significant change.

  • After the ACA, reasons for lacking a usual source of care shifted in urban areas: affordability and insurance-related barriers decreased across income groups, accessibility increased across all income groups, and individual-preference reasons increased for low- and middle-income adults.

Why It Matters: The findings suggest that while low-income adults reported gains in usual sources of care, insurance expansion alone may not ensure consistent access to care, especially given persistent non-financial access challenges.  

Usual Source of Care Among Adults Aged 18-64 Years Post-ACA, 2010-2017 

Sara Shahbazi, PhD, MSPH

Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

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Research Brief 

Ultrasound Guidance Compared With Conventional Methods Reduces IUD Insertion Time  

Background and Goal: Fear of pain can deter some patients from choosing intrauterine devices (IUDs). In this study, researchers investigated whether intrauterine device (IUD) insertion guided by ultrasound reduces procedure time and pain compared to conventional methods.

Study Approach: At a family medicine teaching health center, patients were assigned to an ultrasound-guided or a conventional IUD insertion group. In the ultrasound-guided group, clinicians used a transabdominal ultrasound to check the uterus, measure the distance from the cervix to the top of the uterus, and confirm IUD placement. They did not perform a bimanual pelvic exam or uterine sounding. In the conventional group, clinicians did a bimanual exam and uterine sounding before insertion. All procedures were performed by supervised family-medicine residents; ultrasound exams were done by a POCUS-trained family physician, or an OB-GYN. Pain was measured right after the procedure using a 0 to 10 scale. Total procedure time was measured in seconds.

Main Results: Twenty five patients were in the ultrasound-guided IUD insertion group and 22 patients in the conventional IUD insertion group.

  • The ultrasound-guided procedure time was significantly shorter than the conventional method.

  • There was no difference in pain scores between the two groups.

  • Procedure time did not correlate with pain levels.

Why It Matters: Ultrasound guidance during IUD insertion may improve procedural efficiency by reducing procedure time and may also improve workflow and support clinical decision making. Although procedure time was shorter for ultrasound guided IUD insertion, there was no significant difference in reported pain levels between groups. 

Ultrasound Guidance Can Reduce IUD Insertion Time

Nayoung Sung, MD, et al 

Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program at Clinica Sierra Vista, Bakersfield, California

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Special Report

CHART Guideline Provides 12 Key Reporting Items for AI Chatbot Health Advice Studies

Background and Goal: In response to the growing need for reporting standards for evaluating artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot health advice studies for clinical purposes, researchers created the Chatbot Assessment Reporting Tool (CHART) so stakeholders can interpret results with confidence. 

Key Insights: CHART was developed through a systematic review; a Delphi consensus process (a series of anonymous expert surveys to build agreement) with 531 international stakeholders; and three consensus meetings with a 48-member expert panel. The CHART statement outlines 12 key reporting items for chatbot health advice studies in the form of a checklist and methodological diagram.

Why It Matters: The CHART checklist and corresponding diagram of the method can support key stakeholders, including health system administrators, clinicians, researchers, editors, peer reviewers, and readers in reporting, understanding, and interpreting the findings of chatbot health advice studies.

Permanent link: Reporting Guideline for Chatbot Health Advice Studies: Chatbot Assessment Reporting Tool (CHART) Statement

Bright Huo, et al 

Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

Early Access Link

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Innovations in Primary Care 

Automated Pre-Visit Test Ordering Streamlines Primary Care for Older Adults and Reduces Post-Visit Communication 

The average primary care visit is 18 minutes, and older adult patients have increasingly complex health conditions and needs. Pre-visit planning can improve communication and efficiency. To harness the benefits of pre-visit planning, an internal medicine practice in a suburban academic medical center built an Epic electronic health record workflow to auto-order preventive and chronic disease tests due in the next six months. The practice sent a patient-portal message three weeks before the visit listing those tests to enable self-scheduling and invite patients to list up to three concerns.  Clinicians reviewed replies and adjusted plans ahead of the appointment. To date, about 3500 patients have received the automated communication. Of those patients, 81% read the message and about 27% replied. Patients appreciated consolidating and completing tests before the visit so results could be discussed in-visit. Clinicians reported reduced post-visit results communication; few patients canceled after pre-testing.

Automated Pre-Visit Test Ordering for the Complex Older Adult: From Chaos to Coordination

Majken T. Wingo, MD, et al

Division of Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota

Pre-Embargo Link (temporary)

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Innovations in Primary Care

Penn State Health’s Patient-Centered Quality Metric Reframing Project May Serve as a Model for Presenting Future Quality Metrics  

Quality metrics aim to improve patient outcomes by setting evidence-based targets, but many are neither patient centered nor physician centered. A team at Penn State Health’s Department of Family and Community Medicine ran a project across 13 ambulatory clinics to make quality data more meaningful by presenting patient-oriented outcomes in plain, natural language. Using 24 months of electronic health record data, they paired measured outcomes with Number Needed to Treat (NNT)–based estimates to translate care delivered into likely patient results, such as, “you avoided four strokes for patients with heart disease by prescribing statins, for example.” They produced one-page summaries, emailed clinic-level and provider-level reports, and displayed office posters, then surveyed recipients. Among 119 respondents, most said the reports were clear (85%) and relevant (77%); many felt the format strengthened their sense of impact compared with standard metrics (61%), increased motivation (59%), and would improve how they review traditional measures (50%). About half wanted clearer explanations of how the numbers were calculated, pointing to a need for more transparency.  

Patient-Oriented Quality Metrics Enhance Provider and Staff Engagement

Daniel Schlegel, MD, MHA, DABFM, FAAFP, et al 

Penn State Health & Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania

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Essay

Patient-Centered Self-Disclosure Creates an Emotionally Safe Experience and Lessens Patient’s Feelings of Isolation

Background: At age 26, while the author awaited a first colonoscopy—which would lead to a diagnosis of a chronic illness—the gastroenterologist briefly disclosed that they had undergone the same procedure at a similar age. The well-timed disclosure narrowed the distance between physician and author, making recovery feel imaginable.

Key Argument: Brief, relevant physician self-disclosure kept focused on the patient can restore reciprocity, build rapport and trust, and help patients feel safe to share stigmatized symptoms. Deciding when and how to share is an imperfect art that requires experience, judgment, and knowledge of the person in one’s care.

Why It Matters: Used judiciously, physicians’ patient-centered self-disclosure of pain, loss or struggle, even without the same diagnosis, can make care feel emotionally safer and lessen patient isolation. 

Jasmine Gunkel, PhD

Intimacy, Vulnerability, and the Imperfect Art of Patient-Centered Self-Disclosure

National Institutes of Health, Department of Bioethics, Bethesda, Maryland and Department of Philosophy, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada

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Essay

A Family Doctor Reflects on a Lifetime of Rural Care  

Background: The cemetery beside family physician Ruth Kannai’s clinic frames her reflections on life, medicine, and the rural community of nine villages where she has provided care for a quarter of a century.  

Key Argument: Walking among familiar graves, Kannai presents the physician’s role as bearing witness, being fully present with someone else’s experience, especially in moments of suffering or when facing painful truths, without judgment, without trying to fix, and without turning away. 

Why It Matters: The essay highlights the importance of presence, continuity, and compassion in family medicine and embraces mortality as a shared human journey that shapes both patients and their caregivers.

My Graveyard

Ruth Kannai, MD

Siaal Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Family Medicine, The Haim Doron Division of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, BeerSheva, Israel

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Essay

Attentive Listening and Compassionate Counseling Learned in Her Grandfather’s Clinic Shaped This Physician’s Approach to Geriatric Medicine

Background: A family physician traces her passion for geriatric medicine to the compassionate care she witnessed in her grandfather’s clinic in Vijayanagar, Bangalore, India.

Key Argument: Geriatric care centers on a physician’s ability to listen, connect, and be present. The author’s attentive listening and compassionate counseling helped an older adult grieving a partner find relief from unexplained symptoms, reinforcing a lesson from her grandfather’s clinic that care is not only about the body, but also the soul.

Why It Matters: In geriatrics, where loneliness, grief, and life context accompany symptoms, practicing empathetic communication, listening and personalized communication helps physicians care for whole people, not just diseases.

Lessons From a Grandfather’s Care: A Journey Into Geriatric Medicine 

Meghana Rajashekara Swamy, MD, MS

Brown University Family Medicine, Pawtucket, Rhode Island

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Family Medicine Update: 

From the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Graduate Medical Education 

A family medicine update from the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) urges family medicine residency programs to integrate AI education and adopt clear policies on AI so trainees use AI safely and effectively. Resources from their colleagues are mentioned to help bridge the educational gap on AI, including the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Primary Care (AiM-PC) curriculum created by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM). The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) also has a webinar, “The Generative AI Revolution: Innovations and Opportunities in Medical Education.”

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