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BackgroundSkin cancer affects millions of Americans and is an important focus of disease prevention efforts. Partnering with non–health care practitioners such as massage therapists (MTs) can reduce the risk of skin cancer. MTs see clients’ skin on a regular basis, which can allow MTs to initiate “helping conversations” (ie, brief behavioral interventions aimed at reducing the risk of skin cancer). ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate (1) the feasibility of recruiting, enrolling, and retaining Arizona MTs in an online electronic training (e-training) and (2) the preliminary efficacy of e-training on knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and practice of risk reduction for skin cancer. We explored MTs’ ability to assess suspicious skin lesions. MethodsWe adapted the existing educational content on skin cancer for applicability to MTs and strategies from previous research on helping conversations. We assessed the feasibility of providing such e-training, using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tools for data capture. We assessed the preliminary efficacy using established self-report surveys at baseline, immediately post training, and at 3 and 6 months post training. ResultsA total of 95 participants enrolled in the study, of which 77% (73/95) completed the assessments at 6 months (overall attrition=23%). Project satisfaction and e-training acceptability were high. Knowledge, personal behaviors (skin self-examination, clinical skin examination, sun protection frequency), and practice attitudes (appropriateness and comfort with client-focused communication) of risk reduction for skin cancer improved significantly and were sustained throughout the study. ConclusionsThe e-training was feasible and could be delivered online successfully to MTs. Participants were highly satisfied with and accepting of the e-training. As such, e-training has potential as an intervention in larger trials with MTs for reducing the risk of skin cancer. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.2196/13480

Academic family medicine faces an impending leadership crisis, (1-4) embodied by a deficit of available applicants for vacant chair positions nationwide. The most recent data from the Association of Departments [...]

Considering High-Level Leadership Positions The landscape for the job of an academic department chair is not the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago. One major difference is [...]

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of 53 low-income women who were smokers at the onset of pregnancy. Study participants were interviewed during pregnancy to document smoking trajectories and factors contributing to, or undermining, harm reduction and quit attempts. Thirty percent of women quit smoking completely, 43% engaged in sustained harm reduction, and 26% reduced their smoking levels intermittently. Case studies of women are presented to illustrate reasons for quitting, harm reduction practices, and factors influencing relapse and smoking continuation. Women's motivations to quit are highlighted. Moral identity as a mother was found to be a key motivating factor behind women's quit attempts. Future programs targeting this population would do well to acknowledge moral identity as an issue and recognize the challenges of quitting for women with limited social support and little control over their immediate environment. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

For nearly a decade, ADFM has run a successful yearlong leadership development fellowship geared toward those interested in becoming the chair of a department of family medicine. Each year of [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2006.05.012 Byline: Varda Shoham (a), Michael J. Rohrbaugh (a), Sarah E. Trost (b), Myra Muramoto (c) Keywords: Smoking cessation; Family consultation; Health-compromised smokers Abstract: Although spousal support predicts the success of a smoker's cessation efforts, 'social-support' interventions based on teaching partners better support skills have had consistently disappointing results. We examined the potential utility of a family consultation (FAMCON) intervention based on family-systems principles in a treatment-development project involving 20 couples in which one partner (the primary smoker) continued to smoke despite having or being at significant risk for heart or lung disease. The 50% rate of stable abstinence achieved by primary smokers over at least 6 months exceeds benchmark success rates reported in the literature for other comparably intensive interventions, suggesting that a couple-focused intervention different in concept and format from social-support interventions tested in the past may hold promise for health-compromised smokers. The FAMCON approach appeared particularly well suited to female smokers and smokers whose partner also smoked -- two subgroups at high risk for relapse. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0068, USA (b) Department of Psychology, Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI, USA (c) Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA Article History: Received 8 March 2006; Revised 5 May 2006; Accepted 14 May 2006

Parental tobacco use is a serious health issue for all family members. Child health care clinicians are in a unique and important position to address parental smoking because of the regular, multiple contacts with parents and the harmful health consequences to their patients. This article synthesizes the current evidence-based interventions for treatment of adults and applies them to the problem of addressing parental smoking in the context of the child health care setting. Brief interventions are effective, and complementary strategies such as quitlines will improve the chances of parental smoking cessation. Adopting the 5 A's framework strategy (ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange) gives each parent the maximum chance of quitting. Within this framework, specific recommendations are made for child health care settings and clinicians. Ongoing research will help determine how best to implement parental smoking-cessation strategies more widely in a variety of child health care settings. Pediatrics 2005;115: 750-760; tobacco, smoking, adolescent, child, parent, pediatrician, nicotine-replacement therapy, NRT, nicotine, tobacco dependence, guideline, clinical practice guideline, environmental tobacco smoke, secondhand smoke, SHS., ABBREVIATIONS. SHS, secondhand smoke; ETS, environmental tobacco smoke; NRT, nicotine-replacement therapy; PHS, US Public Health Service; AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. Smoking remains the [...]

The antidepressant drug bupropion appears to be more effective than a nicotine patch for smokers who want to quit. Researchers randomly assigned 893 smokers to take bupropion, use a nicotine patch, use both bupropion and a nicotine patch, or take a placebo. Treatments lasted 8 to 9 weeks. One year later, 35% of those who used bupropion and a nicotine patch had quit smoking compared to 30% of those taking bupropion alone, 16% of those using a nicotine patch and 15% of those taking a placebo. Bupropion alone was almost as effective as bupropion plus a nicotine patch.