February 2024

In the February 2024 issue of SGIM Forum, Drs. Pasha and Silbert start readers off with an article on unjust laws that violate medical ethics and argue that physicians who attempt to enforce these laws should be held accountable. These physicians are often members of state medical boards but Drs. Pasha and Silbert argue they must act within the profession’s ethical guidelines. SGIM President, Dr. Gerrity discusses how SGIM members can build and strengthen relationships and how relationships are at the heart of who generalist physicians are. She talks about #SGIM24 and how the annual meeting will help members can improve our skills in relationship building by bringing together diverse members. SGIM CEO, Dr. Bass converses with SGIM members and Women Preventive Services Initiative members, Drs. Dolan and Weill on their role representing SGIM on this important task force and how their hard work contributes to improving healthcare for women. Drs. Fuest and Murphy review their journey to successfully implement patient portals into their practice and offer lessons learned to assist SGIM members maximize their evaluation and management codes with appropriate use. Dr. Tietz and colleagues utilize a case based presentation to describe a case of elder abuse and interventions by their Vulnerable Elder Services, Protection, and Advocacy (VESPA) team. They offer lessons learned from their experiences trying to coordinate elder care across the health care system. Dr. Esselman, a third-year resident highlights imposter syndrome as a condition experienced by trainees and how discussing topics through her podcast assisted her in understanding and conquering her uncertainties. Dr. Hoque illustrates the principles of Kaizen and how SGIM members can benefit from continuous quality improvement efforts. Finally, Dr. Dey and co-authors point out the need for SGIM members to understand the psychosocial impact of surviving pediatric cancers on adult survivors since these will be patients in many of our practices. Much of this literature exists in the pediatric literature so awareness of these issues will improve the care of our patients.