USPSTF Has Two New Tools Available for Primary Care

February 12, 2013 – The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF or Task Force) has two new tools available for primary care clinicians.

The Task Force's updated 2012 Guide to Clinical Preventive Services is an authoritative source that can help primary care clinicians and patients decide together what preventive services are right for a patient's needs. This edition of the Guide includes the Task Force's evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services from 2002 through March 2012, topics in development, background on the USPSTF, and additional resources. It also includes at-a-glance clinical summary tables for ease of use.

Click hereThis link goes offsite. Click to read the external link disclaimer to view, download, or order a free print copy of the Guide.

Additionally, the USPSTF has partnered with Medscape to develop a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program to help clinicians learn more about the Task Force's role in preventive care. You can watch the Task Force co-chairs in a video roundtable discussion, where they provide an overview of the Task Force, its recommendation process, and its available resources for clinicians.

Click hereThis link goes offsite. Click to read the external link disclaimer to view the CME. (Note: You will need to create a free Medscape account and log in to participate.)

The Task Force also provides additional resources for primary care clinicians, including:

• An up-to-date list of Task Force recommendations, available through the Topics and Recommendations page on the Task Force Web site.
• The electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS)This link goes offsite. Click to read the external link disclaimer, an application designed to help primary care clinicians identify clinical preventive services that are appropriate for their patients, which can be downloaded to mobile devices.
• The Task Force's Second Annual Report to Congress on High-Priority Evidence Gaps for Clinical Preventive Services, which was recently delivered to Congress and highlights six high-priority evidence gaps that deserve further examination.

For more information about any of the Task Force's resources, visit its Web site at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.