Quality Patient Care: Making Evidence-Based, High Value Choices, An Issue of Medical Clinics of North America

This issue of Medical Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Marc Shalaby and Edward Bollard, is devoted to Quality Patient Care: Making Evidence-Based, High Value Choices. Articles in this issue include: Cardiovascular testing in asymptomatic patients: carotid duplex, cardiac stress testing, screen for PVD; Utility of echocardiogram in the evaluation of heart murmurs; Evidenced-based recommendations for the evaluation of palpitations in the primary care setting; Radiologic evaluation of common orthopedic complaints: low back pain, non-traumatic knee/shoulder/hip pain, and ankle injuries; Indications and usefulness of common injections for non-traumatic orthopedic complaints – shoulder, trochanteric bursa, epidural injections, tennis elbow, and knee; The evidence-based evaluation of chronic cough; Evaluation of uncomplicated headache; Evaluation of syncope; Pre-operative assessment: Cataract surgery, pre-operative EKG testing, screening for cardiopulmonary disease, urinalysis, coagulation studies, other lab assessments; The approach to occult GI bleed; The role of EGD surveillance for patients with Barrett’s esophagus; The evidence-based evaluation of iron deficiency anemia; Cancer screening in the elderly; Utilization and safety of common over the counter dietary/nutritional supplements, herbal agents and homeopathic compounds for disease prevention; Utilization of oxygen for the patient with dyspnea; IV fluids, enteral or parenteral nutrition; and Symptom control at the end of life.