OSU GIM implementation Science Experts Shine at 17th annual AcademyHealth Dissemination and Implementation Conference
Please read: What you Need to Know about Coronavirus
Comprehensive care for adults, children and the elderly
General internal medicine practitioners are trained to provide comprehensive primary care services to adults in an outpatient setting as well as to hospitalized patients suffering from a broad range of ailments. Many of our practitioners are also board certified in pediatrics and some in geriatrics. We manage chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and developmental disorders, treat acute illness like respiratory infections and joint pain and provide preventive health care with the goal of preventing illnesses before they start.
Our aim is to develop long-term healing relationships with our patients and help them navigate their care within a complex medical system. Our healthcare team is composed of board certified physicians of internal medicine, geriatrics and pediatrics, as well as nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, registered nurses, medical assistants and many skilled support staff. Within our rich academic environment, we dedicate ourselves each day to providing the highest quality care to our patients, the highest caliber education to our learners, and the highest impact research to drive clinical innovation. We are proud to be advocates for our patients and mentors for tomorrow’s physicians.
General Internal Medicine clinics are located in several Ohio State medical clinics across Central Ohio, including General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Grandview, General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Hilliard, Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care, Outpatient Care East, Outpatient Care Lewis Center, Outpatient Care New Albany, Outpatient Care Stoneridge Dublin and Outpatient Care Upper Arlington.
Recent Highlights
GIM Physician Invited to Join Board of Leading National Adolescent Health Organization
MedTwitter Curriculum Developed by GIM Faculty Aims to Enhance Medical Education and Patient Care
GIM Researcher’s Work Helps Give Patients More Active Role in Their Healthcare
GIM Assistant Professor Receives SGIM Award for Pharmacist Reimbursement Study
Diverse faculty provides language concordant primary care
Additional Initiatives and Highlights
Opioid Treatment Agreements
Dr. Martin Fried recently teamed up with a interdepartmental research group including faculty from Division of Bioethics, Moritz College of Law and CATALYST to conduct a study investigating the use of Opioid Treatment Agreements (OTA) in the long term management of patients on opioid medications for pain.
The focus group study explored how clinicians use OTAs, their perception of these documents, and how using OTAs impacted their prescribing behavior and their relationships with their patients. It concludes that more provider education is necessary and OTAs can support pain management by facilitating clinician-patient conversations about the expectations for patients on LTOT.
More information about the study can be found online in "Clinician Perspectives on Opioid Treatment Agreements: A Qualitative Analysis of Focus Groups," an open access article published in the American Journal of Bioethics – Empirical Bioethics.
Alcohol Use Disorders Pharmacotherapies
Several members of the GIM faculty and research staff have published a systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of alcohol use disorder in JAMA. The review included a rigorous analysis of data from 118 clinical trials involving 20,976 participants. Key results indicated that both acamprosate and oral naltrexone at 50mg/day significantly reduce the likelihood of a person returning to any drinking. The study sheds light on the effectiveness of these treatments and can inform future clinical guidelines, potentially improving the quality of life for millions affected by alcohol use disorder. The work was done through GIM’s Evidence-based Practice Center in collaboration with the RTI-UNC Evidence-based Practice Center. GIM Division Director Daniel Jonas, MD, MPH served as senior author; Sean Riley, MSc, MA provided research support and conducted the meta-analyses; Christiane Voisin, MSLS served as research librarian; and Cory Coffey, PharmD, BCACP, BCPP and Kaitlin Kuznacic, PharmD (bottom middle) offered research support as GIM pharmacists.
Sickle Cell Disease Pain Management
Four faculty members at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are working to advocate for a more comprehensive approach to pain management for adults with sickle cell disease. They have outlined a pain management model that frames pain as a complex phenomenon with neural, psychological and social dimensions. The group includes Janet Childerhose, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine; Associate GIM Professors Robert Cronin, MD; Andrew Schamess, MD and Maryanna Klatt, PhD, Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Director of OSU’s Center for Integrative Health.
Medical Guidelines in Clinical Practices
GIM Director, Dan Jonas, MD, MPH, was featured in a New York Times article titled “According to Medical Guidelines, Your Doctor Needs a 27-Hour Workday.” The article examines the challenge of incorporating numerous recommendations into clinical practice. Dr. Jonas explained that guidelines from well-known national medical groups are helpful, but it is a challenge to determine how to best prioritize them in a busy primary care practice.
Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
Dr. Jonas was also featured in another recent New York Times article for his work in lung cancer screening research. In an article titled “Do Cancer Centers Push Too Many Tests?”, Dr. Jonas speaks to the importance of providing balanced information to patients. Dr. Jonas has done extensive research related to lung cancer screening. The evidence review of many facets of lung cancer screening done by Dr. Jonas and his team and their use of predictive modeling data was used by the US preventive Services Task Force to help inform updated national lung cancer screening guidelines.
Accommodating Breastfeeding
The Ohio Department of Health enlisted Dr. Sarah Jonaus to help show businesses and organizations throughout Ohio how to support employees who breastfeed. Dr. Jonaus, who is the lead physician in General Internal Medicine at Outpatient Care Upper Arlington and an associate clinical professor, is featured in ODH’s released video on how employers can establish or enhance breastfeeding accommodations. Breastfeeding employees are supported throughout The Ohio State University and the Wexner Medical Center and Dr. Jonaus discusses how this is done in her area specifically. She notes how making arrangements to give employees and trainees both a comfortable, private space and time in their schedule to breastfeed makes them feel appreciated and valued and leads to happier, healthier employees.
Post-COVID Clinic
Several GIM employees are part of a multidisciplinary clinic for patients who have lingering COVID-19 symptoms. Program leaders from GIM include Dr. Aaron Friedberg, Dr. Jodi Grandominico and Dr. Andrew Schamess. Dr. Harrison Jackson, and Dr. Erin McConnell also work in the post-COVID clinic, which was the first of its kind in central Ohio. In addition, Dr. Friedberg has been featured in an NPR piece related to treatment of COVID.
The Division of General Internal Medicine has long been home to outstanding faculty who are driving innovations in medicine. Read about the recent accomplishments of our faculty.