Patricia Folan

Implications of Marijuana Decriminalization on the Practice of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. A Report of the American Thoracic Society Marijuana Workgroup

Ivor S. Douglas, MD, is Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado, and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Medicine at Denver Health Medical Center where he has directed the medical ICU since 2002. Having graduated medical school in South Africa and after Internal Medicine Residency training in London, Great Britain, he completed pulmonary & critical care fellowship training the University of Chicago.

An official American Thoracic Society workshop report: tobacco control initiatives within the American Thoracic Society.

Cigarette smoking represents the single most preventable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States and the burden of tobacco use is apparent world-wide. Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2004. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and its members have contributed significantly to an understanding of the biological and pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for the development and management of tobacco-attributable disease and disability. The societys active involvement in tobacco control advocacy and policy-related initiatives are central to its mission. Within the ATS, there is also increased interest in accelerating the societys efforts to understand the mechanisms responsible for the uptake, persistence, and cessation of tobacco use. Scientific, clinical, and educational activities that include an examination of these underlying mechanisms are warranted. This paper describes findings from an ATS initiative that developed a preliminary strategy for enhancing scientific, clinical, educational, and policy-related tobacco control efforts that are consistent with the vision of the ATS. The specific aims of this project included the identification of existing mechanisms, as well as the current governance in place within the ATS infrastructure, to address tobacco control issues related to scientific inquiry, policy initiatives, and advocacy for tobacco control. This assessment generated recommendations to inform the ATS leadership with regard to the future development of relevant tobacco control initiatives.

Leadership initiatives to disseminate the institute of medicine's future of nursing report.

This article discusses the critical role professional nurses will play and the tremendous impact nursing education and leadership development will have on the future of health care, as outlined in the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine’s report, “The future of nursing: Leading change, and advancing health.” Six doctorate of nursing practice students from Case Western Reserve University analyzed the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report and developed projects to disseminate key components to selected organizations. The students developed two primary initiatives. One initiative involved presenting the report to various professional organizations, including a local chapter of an international honor society, a specialty organization, and a health care organization. The second initiative included interviewing several nurse leaders within a large multihospital health system, and a nursing leader in academia to determine (a) the level of awareness about the IOM report and (b) strategies these leaders have implemented or envisioned to address the report recommendations.

Characteristics of smokers with type 2 diabetes

AIM The purpose of this secondary analysis was to identify the characteristics of smokers with type 2 diabetes, enrolled in a smoking cessation program. BACKGROUND The health consequences of smoking are particularly severe for individuals with diabetes who smoke. METHODS The characteristics of 227 smokers with type 2 diabetes were analyzed to determine which traits were more likely to be associated with quit success. RESULTS Results of the data analysis indicate that smokers with type 2 diabetes were more likely to be abstinent 30 days and 6 months after the quit date if they attended a majority of the program classes and support groups; and used cessation medications. Expressing concerns about the expense of cigarettes was also associated with quit success at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS Although studies have examined compliance with other diabetes care recommendations, few have evaluated the characteristics of individuals with diabetes who smoke.