The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed primary care practice. Difficult management decisions must now be made in transformed ambulatory environments and via telemedicine. Despite the change in our practice environments, primary care clinicians must continue to focus on preventive medicine, reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, day-to-day clinical problems, chronic disease management, women’s health, geriatrics, behavioral medicine, and optimal use of diagnostic tests and new medications. Health disparities and the care of vulnerable patients are a central part of our daily practice as we try to maximize quality, safety, equity, and value. Close collaboration with other specialists, inpatient colleagues, and diverse teams of health professionals is essential for the care of our complex patients. This course will present a comprehensive review of new developments in outpatient medicine, controversies in primary care practice, and up-to-the-minute updates in care of patients with COVID-19. The course will focus on the skills and strategies needed in day-to-day office practice. The curriculum will feature in-depth discussion of challenging cases in preventive medicine, common problems in ambulatory care, and a broad selection of acute and chronic illnesses. An audience response system will facilitate discussion of challenging clinical cases. The course is presented by the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine of the Department of Medicine and is sponsored by the Office of Continuing Medical Education, University of California, San Francisco.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course, chaired by Dr. Robert B. Baron and taught by UCSF’s best teachers, is designed for practicing internists, family practitioners, advance practice providers, and all other health professionals interested in providing high quality primary care.

Objectives:

The purpose of this course is to increase competence and improve clinician practice in primary care and ambulatory practice. We specifically anticipate improvements in skills and strategies to:

• Implement new guidelines in office-based preventive medicine including new strategies for cancer prevention and screening, immunizations, and prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke;
• Manage common and complex office problems including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, COPD, TIAs, stroke, diabetes, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis and STIs;
• Understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on primary care practice and use best evidence to treat patients with COVID-related conditions and concerns;
• Diagnose and treat common problems in women’s health including contraception, abnormal uterine bleeding, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, pelvic pain, and vaginitis;
• Treat common disorders in dermatology including skin cancer, eczema, acne, hair loss, chronic urticaria, drug eruptions, skin infections, and disorders of aging skin;
• Diagnose and treat common and less common disorders of the lung;
• Understand the changing role that immunotherapy and other new medications are having on modern medicine;
• Prevent and treat illness in patients with immunocompromising conditions;
• Understand the evidence for common vitamin supplementation and other nutritional supplements;
• Understand and treat obesity and use the new obesity medications;
• Understand the new exercise guidelines and how to implement them;
• Select the best diagnostic tests and enhance value in medical practice;
• Use best evidence and optimize patient communication and shared-decision making;
• Become a better clinician and advocate with a deeper understanding of health disparities and the central role of primary care clinicians in providing equitable, patient-centered care.

Course Outline: