Wikipedia

American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a Philadelphia-based national organization of internal medicine physicians, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults.[1] With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States.[2][3][4] Its flagship journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine, is among the most widely-cited peer-reviewed medical journals in the world.[5] [6]

American College of Physicians
AbbreviationACP
FormationJanuary 8, 1915
Headquarters190 North Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Membership
161,000
Websiteacponline.org

History edit

ACP was founded in 1915.[7] In 1998, it merged with the American Society of Internal Medicine (ASIM).[8][9] ASIM's focus on the economic, political, and social aspects of medical care[10] both enlarged and complemented its mission.

Known as ACP-ASIM from 1998 to 2003, the organization re-adopted "American College of Physicians" as its corporate name from 2003 on.[11]

It established the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1927.

Structure edit

ACP is governed by an elected Board of Regents, which manages the business and affairs of ACP and is made up of elected officers.[12] The Board is advised by a network of ACP committees and by the ACP Board of Governors, which is an advisory board to the Board of Regents, the College's policy-making body.[1] The Board comprises popularly elected Governors who implement national projects and initiatives at the chapter level and represent member concerns at the national level.[12] ACP has international chapters in Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Chile, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.[1]

ACP is a founding member of the Council of Medical Subspecialty Societies, which represents 50 subspecialty societies and internal medicine organizations.

Membership and recognition edit

Levels of ACP membership are Medical Student, Associate, Member, Fellow (FACP), Honorary Fellow, and those elected to receive Mastership (MACP).[1] Fellowship and Mastership in ACP recognize outstanding achievement in internal medicine. Fellows are recommended by their peers, endorsed by their local chapter leadership, and reviewed by a national credentials subcommittee. Those who are elected to receive Mastership are nominated from among the Fellows of ACP for annual election to this group. Board certification in internal medicine is not required,[13] though potential members must be "board eligible."[14]

Non-Physician Affiliate membership is available to licensed non-physician health care professionals, or a physician holding an internationally equivalent degree and who maintain their professional credentials to practice.

  •  
    Membership diploma of the American College of Physicians
  •  
    FACP, Fellowship diploma of the American College of Physicians

Publications and products edit

ACP publishes a range of publications which provide in-depth analysis of issues affecting internal medicine. They include:

  • Annals of Internal Medicine, the weekly peer-reviewed medical journal, in print twice per month and alternately online.[15]
  • I.M. Matters from ACP, and its companion e-newsletter, I.M. Matters Weekly from ACP, provide news and information about the practice of medicine and report on the policies, products, and activities of ACP.[16]
  • ACP Hospitalist, a weekly online magazine exclusive to ACP members, covers the latest news in hospital medicine, including feature articles, Q&As, and summaries of recent research.[17]

ACP distributes several e-newsletters. They include:

  • ACP Diabetes Monthly and ACP Gastroenterology Monthly, which summarize news about diabetes and gastroenterology/hepatology.[18][19]
  • ACP Advocate, a bi-weekly newsletter featuring news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care.[20]
  • ACP IMpower, a monthly newsletter offering tools, resources, and information to help ACP Resident/Fellow Members during training and prepare them for their professional futures.[21]
  • IMconnection, a monthly newsletter exclusively for early career physicians that highlights benefits and resources targeted at their career stage.
  • ACP IMpact, a monthly newsletter for medical students to help explore internal medicine career opportunities and access helpful information and resources.[22]
  • I.M. a Chief Resident, a monthly newsletter offering information and resources for chief residents.[23]
  • ACP Global, a bi-monthly newsletter offering a global perspective on news in internal medicine and highlighting ACP's international activities.[24]

Activities edit

ACP’s Advocacy and Regulatory efforts work to improve the health care system and daily experiences for internal medicine doctors and their patients using our evidence-based policy papers, grass roots activities, work with congressional leaders, key agencies, regulators, and through collaborations with other organizations. ACP advocates to make regulatory and payment systems work better for internal medicine physicians, reduce burnout, and improve patient care. The organization seeks to promote policy reforms on the federal level through legislative, regulatory, and executive actions that benefit the overall health and well-being of patients, physicians, and the practice of internal medicine.[citation needed][25]

The Center for Ethics & Professionalism seeks to advance physician and public understanding of ethics and professionalism issues in the practice of medicine in order to enhance patient care by promoting the highest ethical standards.[26] The seventh edition of the ACP Ethics Manual was published in 2019.[27]

The High Value Care initiative[28] aims to help patients receive the best possible care from physicians while reducing unnecessary costs to the healthcare system. The initiative includes clinical and public policy recommendations, curriculum, and resources for physicians.[29] For patients, ACP offers resources about the benefits, harms, costs and treatments options for common clinical issues.

Education and information resources edit

The organization develops several types of clinical recommendations.[30] These include:

  • Clinical Practice Guidelines, which address screening, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases relevant to internal medicine and its subspecialties. They are based on a systematic review of available evidence.
  • Clinical Guidance Statements, which, like Clinical Practice Guidelines, address screening, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases relevant to internal medicine and its subspecialties. However, they involve a review and methodological critique of existing and sometimes conflicting guidelines rather than a systematic review of available evidence.
  • Best Practice Advice, which are developed by ACP's High Value Care Task Force to address the value of diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions for various diseases. They are based on an evaluation of the benefits, harms, and costs of a test or treatment and how this can be translated into the value of an intervention.
  • Practice Points, which provide advice to improve the health of individuals and populations and promote high value care based on the best available evidence derived from assessment of scientific work. ACP Practice Points aim to address the value of screening and diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions for various diseases, and consider the determinants of health, including but not limited to genetic variability, environment, and lifestyle.

ACP received the designation of a GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) Center in 2024, and is the first and only organization in the United States to receive it.[31] The designation recognizes the organization's work of producing high-value clinical guidelines and a formal recognition of the stringent protocols in its development of those guidelines.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "ACP Facts". ACP Online. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Physicians group declares its opposition to assisted suicide". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. August 2, 2001.
  3. ^ Osmosis - "Prep for the Medicine Shelf" Archived August 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 20, 2014
  4. ^ "Doctors fear physician shortage". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 15, 2009.
  5. ^ "Journal Rankings on Internal Medicine". Scimago Jr. 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. ^ "50 Top Medical Journals by Medical Specialty". AMN Healthcare. June 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "Medical Men Will Meet Here Feb 6". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec. October 4, 1932.
  8. ^ "Society elects internist to serve as governor". Iowa City Press-Citizen. May 13, 1999.
  9. ^ Khan, Faroque Ahmad (2017). Serving Faith, Profession, and Community: Fifty Years of Imana (1967–2017). Partridge Publishing. ISBN 9781482889819.
  10. ^ "Dr. Collins to head medical group". The Daily Item. May 12, 1978.
  11. ^ Philadelphia Business Journal - "Health Care". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  12. ^ a b "Leadership". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  13. ^ ABIM - "Certification Guide". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  14. ^ ABMS - "Board Eligibility". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  15. ^ Annals of Internal Medicine - "Annals of Internal Medicine". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  16. ^ I.M. Matters - I.M. Matters . Retrieved June 5, 2024
  17. ^ ACP Hospitalist - "ACP Hospitalist". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  18. ^ "Subscription Information". ACP Diabetes Monthly. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  19. ^ "Subscription Information". ACP Gastroenterology Monthly. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "ACP Advocate". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  21. ^ "IMpower". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  22. ^ "Medical Student Membership". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  23. ^ "I.M. a Chief Resident". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  24. ^ "ACP Global Engagement". ACP Online. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "ACP Facts". ACP Online. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  26. ^ "Medical Ethics and Professionalism". American College of Physicians. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  27. ^ Snyder Sulmasy, Lois; Bledsoe, Thomas (January 15, 2019). "American College of Physicians Ethics Manual: Seventh Edition". Annals of Internal Medicine. 170 (2). doi:10.7326/M18-2160.
  28. ^ Medpage Today - "'High Value' Care Goal of New ACP Partnership". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  29. ^ Choosing Wisely - "Free Online Cases Teach Physicians About Choosing Wisely and High Value Care". Retrieved October 20, 2014
  30. ^ "Clinical Guidelines & Recommendations". ACP Online.
  31. ^ Rhodes, Andrew. "ACP becomes first organization in US to earn GRADE designation for guideline development". Healio. Retrieved June 7, 2024.

External links edit

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