Reviewer: Heather Huang, MD(University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health)
Description: This is a concise yet comprehensive reference for all primary care topics, including obstetrics/gynecology, dermatology, neurology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, toxicology, urology, geriatrics, orthopedics, and palliative care. .
Purpose: Updated annually, this book is intended as a single-source reference for practitioners in both hospital and ambulatory settings. Its goal is to emphasize practical features of clinical diagnosis and patient management in all fields of internal medicine.
Audience: The audience includes internists, family physicians, hospitalists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and all primary care providers. It is also intended for house officers, medical students, and all other health professions students. Physicians in other specialties, pharmacists, and dentists also could find this book useful.
Features: The book is quite comprehensive, covering a vast number of topics in primary care. Online chapters cover additional topics such as chemotherapeutic and antibiotic agents, basic genetics, complementary and alternative medicine, IT in patient care, and diagnostic testing and medical decision-making. Material is delivered clearly and concisely, with a focus on information relevant to clinical decision-making. Tables and algorithms highlight key points.
Assessment: This book achieves its goal of being a concise, single-source, encyclopedic reference for primary care providers. It presents an in-depth survey of all primary care and relevant specialty topics. It emphasizes the practical features of clinical diagnosis and patient management, and focuses on information relevant to clinical decision-making.