October’s top stories in family medicine

Healio.com/Family Medicine presents the month’s top news stories, including breastfeeding support in hospitals, ultrasound system for targeted prostate treatment and burnout among primary care physicians.

More hospitals providing ample breastfeeding support to mothers

Since 2007, more hospitals across the country are providing better support for women who want to breastfeed, according to recently published data. “Breastfeeding has immense health benefits for babies and their mothers. More hospitals are better supporting new moms to breastfeed — every newborn should have the best possible start to life,” Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, CDC Director, said in a press release. Read more.

PCP burnout strongly associated with adverse work environment

Physicians reporting burnout were more likely to work in chaotic settings and reported more intention to leave their practice; however, burnout did not have an impact on quality of care. Physicians who reported burnout were more likely to work at practices that did not place strong emphasis on work-life balance and reported more intent to leave the practice, according to the researchers. Read more.

Survey: Copay, schedule conflicts may impede group visits for patients with type 2 diabetes

Individuals with type 2 diabetes reported feeling that their diabetes was already under control, and therefore did not feel the need to attend group visits for diabetes management, according to results from a recently conducted survey. Other reported reasons for not attending included time, transportation and copays. Read more.

Syphilis rate increased 50% among armed services over 5-year period

From 2010 to 2014, the rate of primary and secondary syphilis increased by 49.1% among active members of the U.S. military, according to a report from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. In 2014, the crude incidence rate of syphilis was 46.1 cases per 100,000 person years, up from 30.9 cases per 100,000 person-years in 2010. In the first 8 months of 2015, the crude incidence rate of syphilis was 47.4 cases per 100,000 person-years. Read more.

FDA approves ultrasound system for targeted prostate treatment

SonaCare Medical’s Sonablast 450 focused ultrasound system has been approved by the FDA for the removal of prostate tissue. The novel system, which would allow patients to skip radiation treatment or surgery, will preserve healthy tissue while treating organ-confined prostate diseases. In the United States, focused ultrasound is currently approved for treating uterine fibroids and pain relief from bone metastases. Read more.