ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP's Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

Authors discuss research on AI in the exam room, switching GLP1-RAs for better glucose and weight control, and ACP's best practice advice for the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for noncancer pain

NEW ORLEANS, April 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the American College of Physicians (ACP) annual meeting, Internal Medicine Meeting 2025, in New Orleans, Annals of Internal Medicine presented three breaking scientific research articles during a live plenary session featuring the authors of those articles. The articles were published in ACP's flagship journal concurrent with the live meeting presentation.

During the session, New in Annals of Internal Medicine: Hear it First from the Authors, Christine Laine, M.D., MPH, FACP Annals of Internal Medicine Editor-in-Chief and ACP Senior Vice President, interviewed each author to gain insight into their research. The articles presented were:

    --  Comparison of Initial Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Final Physician
        Recommendations in AI-Assisted Virtual Urgent Care Visits. Zehavi
        Horowitz-Kugler M.D., Vice President, Medical Sciences at K Health,
        Inc., discussed findings from a study comparing artificial intelligence
        (AI)-driven clinical recommendations to physician decision-making for
        common acute complaints in a virtual primary care setting. In the study,
        AI recommendations were largely rated as superior to physicians by
        expert adjudicators. According to Dr. Horowitz-Kugler, this is because
        AI is trained on a massive amount of high-quality, real-world clinical
        data, which is far beyond what any physician would see in their
        lifetime. Combined with human physician discernment, this approach could
        improve patient care and outcomes.

    --  Comparison of Dose Escalation Versus Switching to Tirzepatide Among
        People With Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled on Lower Doses of
        Dulaglutide. Liana K Billings, M.D., MMSc, Vice Chair of Research,
        Department of Medicine, Endeavor Health (NorthShore Hospitals),
        explained that for patients with inadequately controlled type 2
        diabetes, switching to tirzepatide improves glucose control and
        increases weight loss more so than maximizing dulaglutide dose. This is
        important because delays in attaining at-goal glucose control can
        increase the risk and progression of diabetes-related complications,
        such as kidney disease and eye disease. Dr. Billings noted that adverse
        effects were similar in both groups.

    --  Cannabis or Cannabinoids for the Management of Chronic Noncancer Pain:
        Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians. Adam J.
        Obley, M.D., FACP Associate Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health &
        Science University and a member of ACP's Clinical Guidelines Committee,
        explained that ACP's Best Practice Advice paper is intended to inform
        clinicians about the evidence regarding the benefits and harms of
        cannabis or cannabinoids and to provide advice for clinicians counseling
        patients seeking to use cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic noncancer
        pain. ACP suggests that physicians counsel their patients about the
        benefits and harms of cannabis or cannabinoids when patients are
        considering whether to start or continue their use to manage chronic
        noncancer pain. ACP advised caution, as the harms of cannabis use may
        outweigh the benefits for some patients, especially young adults and
        adolescents, those with substance use disorder, or patients with serious
        mental health issues. Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or
        actively trying to conceive should be counseled against cannabis use.
        For all patients, ACP recommends against the use of inhaled cannabis.

"Sharing this groundbreaking research at our plenary session and publishing it in Annals of Internal Medicine underscores its significance," said Dr. Laine. "These topics are relevant to internal medicine and primary care physicians and address issues commonly seen during the patient encounter. By giving physicians timely access to these scientific insights, we aim to improve care and enhance clinical practice."

About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

About Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine is the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians (ACP).?Annals?is the most widely read and cited general internal medicine journal and one of the most influential peer-reviewed clinical journals in the world.?Annals' mission is to promote excellence in medicine, enable physicians and other health care professionals to be well-informed members of the medical community and society, advance standards in the conduct and reporting of medical research, and contribute to improving the health of people worldwide. New content is published every Tuesday at?Annals.org. Follow Annals on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE American College of Physicians