2018 October 31 - IDSA News

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Improvements Made to Practice Guidelines on IDSA Website

Thanks to member feedback, we have made several updates to the Guidelines section of the new IDSA website in an effort to continually improve the overall user experience.

IDSA/HIVMA Urge NIAID to Increase K Award Funding Levels

In response to an announcement from NIAID indicating a significant drop in funding levels for K awards, IDSA and HIVMA have issued a statement warning that low award levels will limit research objectives and discourage trainees from entering the field.

ABIM Announces Changes in Policy for Lapsed Certificates & MOC Point Requirements

Late last week, the American Board of Internal Medicine sent its Fall 2018 Quarterly News and Notes to all ABIM diplomates. Included in that newsletter were reminders regarding end-of-year deadlines as well as important information regarding changes in policy for those with lapsed certificates and a simplified MOC point requirement policy.

Journal Club

In this feature, a panel of IDSA members identifies and critiques important new studies in the current literature that have a significant impact on the practice of infectious diseases medicine.
Reviews in this issue: Using Lock Therapy to Treat Long-Term Catheter-Related Infections; Eosinopenia as a Marker for C. difficile Severity

AMR Conference Puts Focus on Research, Stewardship, Innovation and Diagnostics

Leading infectious diseases experts highlighted issues critical to confronting, controlling and reversing the growing global public health threat of pathogens that are increasingly unresponsive to existing treatments, at the recent World Antimicrobial Resistance Congress in Washington, DC.

IDSA Urges Strengthened AMR, Immunization Efforts Ahead of Global Health Security Agenda Meeting

In preparation for the Ministerial Meeting on the Global Health Security Agenda next month, IDSA sent this letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, recommending that the U.S. strengthen GHSA activities on antimicrobial resistance, immunization, workforce, and medical countermeasures.

IDSA Leadership Institute Now Accepting Applications

Apply now to participate in the inaugural IDSA Leadership Institute. This interactive program, to take place May 6-8, 2019, in Arlington, Va., will equip mid-career infectious diseases and HIV specialists with practical proficiencies needed to position themselves for leadership roles.

Help HIVMA Advocate for PrEP Access

Expanding access to HIV prevention, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), is an important policy and advocacy priority for HIVMA.

Applications Now Open for HIVMA Clinical Fellowship Program

The HIVMA Clinical Fellowship Program is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 cycle. The program awards grants to support one year of HIV clinical training to up to two fellows per year.

Article Highlights Need for ID Quality Measures

As health care shifts from reimbursement based on numbers of patients seen or procedures performed to reimbursement based on quality of care, the infectious diseases specialty will need to develop measures that accurately reflect the complex, expert care that ID physicians provide.

ID Contributions to Public Health & Challenges Faced Highlighted in CID

Delineating the broad range of public health contributions provided by physicians specializing in infectious diseases, an article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, "Infectious Diseases Physicians: Improving and Protecting the Public’s Health - Why Equitable Compensation is Critical," sets forth concrete recommendations to ensure continued training and practice in the field meet increasing demand.

HHS Tickborne Working Group Prepares Final Report

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tickborne Disease Working Group is in the process of finalizing its report for official release later in the year.

FDA Approves New Drug to Treat Flu

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated flu. The drug, made by Genentech, has been approved for use in patients 12 and older who have been symptomatic for no longer than 48 hours.

Science Speaks Highlights Outbreak Risks and Impacts

Topics in the blog this week range from the development of a website presenting findings from Joint External Evaluations of outbreak preparedness, to a tuberculosis outbreak sparking prison reform and the underestimated costs of the Ebola crisis.

IDSA and ID in the News

Each week, IDSA spokespersons interview with media organizations across the country, providing facts, perspectives and important public health information about infectious diseases to the public.

ICYMI: What’s Hot on MyIDSA

Here’s a glance at the latest discussions happening on MyIDSA, IDSA’s members-only online community (login required).