J Am Board Fam Med
-
The potential for machine learning (ML) to enhance the efficiency of medical specialty boards has not been explored. We applied unsupervised ML to identify archetypes among American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Diplomates regarding their practice characteristics and motivations for participating in continuing certification, then examined associations between motivation patterns and key recertification outcomes. ⋯ This study demonstrates the feasibility of using ML to supplement and enhance human interpretation of board certification data. We discuss implications of this demonstration study for the interaction between specialty boards and physician Diplomates.
-
Nicotine e-cigarettes are a safe and effective way to help patients stop smoking.
-
Urgent warnings about the existential threat of climate change are coming from leaders in nearly every sector of society, including virtually all climate scientists, notable heads of civil governments around the globe, the world's top religious leaders, prestigious medical journals, as well as principals of the largest financial firms. Surveys show that the majority of U. S. physicians in several specialties are caring for patients who are experiencing direct health harms due to climate change. ⋯ Physicians and other health professionals, individually and through their organizations, also work to influence our societal response to the challenge of climate change. The first annual Lancet Journal Countdown Report in 2016 tracking health indicators of climate change stated that climate change had the potential to wipe out all public health gains of the last half century, but it also presents a tremendous opportunity to save lives and improve health. All physicians should work toward the latter outcome.