The Internist: Health Policy in Practice. - periodical reviews

Health Care Financing Review, Summer, 1992

More and more physicians see environmentalism as a natural extension of their commitment to the health of their patients. Practicing physicians who also practice environmental activism are the focus of the May issue of The Internist: Health Policy in Practice, the magazine of the American Society of Internal Medicine (ASIM).

In her overview essay on environmental health, U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello, M.D., writes that physicians "have a professional and moral responsibility to take steps to prevent dangerous hazards to health." Dr. Novello notes that one of the most dangerous pollutants ia also one of the most common--passive or sidestream cigarette smoke. An estimated 12 million children a year are exposed to passive smoke from their parents. These children, according to Dr. Novello, suffer from more health ailments than children whose parents do not smoke.

The harmful effects of pollutants and unsanitary conditions are evident in the Rio Grande Valley, writes El Paso pediatrician Laurance N. Nickey, M.D. Dr. Nickey reports on the environmental and sewage problems that have caused inordinately high rates of dysentery, hepatitis, and tuberculosis in U.S. and Mexican border towns. He calls for a bilateral commission that would operate under U.S. and Mexican authority to coordinate efforts to address health-threatening environmental conditions.

The health risks of the are explored in an essay by Jonathan M. Samet, M.D., an epidemiologist at the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine in Albuquerque. Dr. Samet writes that radon, which has been linked to incidence of lung cancer, can seep into homes through cracks in foundations and basements. The level of risk posed by radon in homes varies. Dr. Samet recommends home radon testing kits to concerned homeowners.

The conservation efforts of concerned internists are also highlighted this month. For the past 6 years, John Langdon, M.D., of Orlando, has been helping scientists in central Florida track the migration patterns of loggerhead sea turtles. Albany internist Robert Propp, M.D., says his love of sport fishing inspired his efforts to get involved with the cleanup of rivers and streams in upstate New York.

Back in Washington, this month's "Capital Currents" outlines ASIM's new proposal for reforming the way physicians are paid for services. ASIM's vice president of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy Robert Doherty writes that the proposal is an effort to counter growing support for so-called "all-payer" rates. ASIM's plan, according to Doherty, would give consumers heretofore unavailable pricing information about physician services that would allow individuals to make informed choices about their health care.

This month's "Innerview" features a conversation with the director of the Centers for Disease Control, William L. Roper, M.D. Dr. Roper discusses a wide range of public health issues, including the Government's renewed efforts to prevent the spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and hepatitis.

For a copy of the May issue of The Internist: Public Policy in Practice, send $3 to ASIM, 2011 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 800, Washington, DC., 20006-1808. A 1-year subscription costs $24.