Mitchell T. Heflin, MD

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Services

• Geriatrics

Department / Division:
Medicine / Geriatrics

Address:
DUMC 3003
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
(919) 620-4070

Fax Telephone:
(919) 684-8569

• M.D., University of Virginia School of Medicine, 1994

• Internal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, 1994-1997

• Ambulatory Care Chief Resident, Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, 1997-1998
• Geriatric Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, 1998-2000

• Masters of Health Sciences, Duke University, North Carolina

Clinical Interests:
Comprehensive geriatric assessment in the elderly, depression, dementia/memory loss, failure to thrive, fall assessment, clinical education, appropriate prescribing

Research Interests:
My research is focused on the issues surrounding decisions to perform cancer screening procedures in older adults. In recent work, we have investigated the impact of comorbid illness on receipt of mammography, clinical breast examination, Pap smear, and fecal occult blood testing. We are also completing work on a nationwide survey of primary care physicians inquiring about their intentions to offer cancer screening tests to older adults, specifically examining the role of health status on this decsion. Future directions of this line of research include: 1) Clinical trials of cancer screening in older adults, 2) The impact of education of providers and patients on rates of receipt of screening, 3) defining patient preferences for screening.

I am also intersted in the development of novel educational curricula in geriatrics for all types and levels of providers. Specifically, through my Geriatrics academic Career Award from the Department of Health and Human Services, I hope to examine the efficacy of several new educational programs. At this time, we have developed a comprehensive curriculum in Geriatrics for the medical school, a course in EBM in Geriatrics for fellows and a fellowship rotation entitled "Academic Geriatrics."

Representative Publications:
Heflin MT, Oddone EZ. Screening for Cancer in Older Women:  A Guide to Prudent Prevention. J Clin Outcomes Manage 2003 Sep;10(9):493-502. (2003)

Heflin MT, Oddone EZ, Peiper CF, Burchett BM, Cohen HJ. The impact of comorbid illness on receipt of cancer screening in the elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2002;50:1651-1658 (2002)

Oddone EZ, Feussner JR, Heflin MT. "Screening for Cancer" in Cassel CK, Cohen HJ, Larson EB, et al., eds. Geriatric Medicine 4th ed. New York, NY:Springer, 2003. (2003)

Heflin MT, and Cohen HJ. Screeening for Cancer in the Elderly. Hospital Practice 2001;36:61-70. (2001)