TMA releases new physician toolkit
to improve patient lifestyles, patient health

posted 02.18.10

AMA Healthier Life Steps, a new toolkit from the Texas Medical Association and the American Medical Association, contains resources to encourage patients to make positive, coordinated lifestyle changes focusing on four key lifestyle behaviors: healthy eating, increasing physical activity, smoking cessation, and reducing risky alcohol consumption.

The toolkit includes a physician guide that provides patient screening, intervention, and motivational tools and techniques; continuing medical education; patient questionnaires; action plans; and progress calendars. The materials are free for physicians and patients, and physicians can earn up to 1 hour of AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit by taking the CME in the physician guide. Visit www.texmed.org/lifesteps to download any of the Healthier Life Steps materials.

For more information, contact Tammy Wishard, TMA’s outreach coordinator, at tmaoutreachcoordinator@texmed.org or (800) 880-1300, ext. 1470.

TMA’s Physician Oncology Education Program also offers a tobacco cessation guide, which includes current pharmacotherapy information, to help physicians help their patients stop smoking. To order copies, contact Laura Wells at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1673, or laura.wells@texmed.org.