To start the year off right, AFP has prepared a special issue with some features you won't want to miss:

• On page 81, look for the article “Spirituality and Medical Practice: Using the HOPE Questions as a Practical Tool for Spiritual Assessment,” by Gowri Anandarajah, M.D., and Ellen Hight, M.D., M.P.H. The article is accompanied by two editorials And a “Medicine and Society” piece that tackle the controversies and evidence surrounding spirituality and health. Drs. Anandarajah and Hight indicate that studies show a correlation between spirituality and health outcomes. The HOPE questions covered in the article provide a format to incorporate consideration of a patient's spirituality into medical practice.

• See page 30 for the editorial “Spiritual Assessment in Medical Practice,” by Harold G. Koenig, M.D., and page 33 for the editorial “Spirituality and Medical Practice: A Look at the Evidence,” by Richard P. Sloan, PH.D., and Emilia Bagiella, Ph.D. The “Medicine and Society” piece by Walter L. Larimore, M.D., titled “Basic Spiritual Care for Patients: Should It Be the Exclusive Domain of Pastoral Professionals?” appears on page 36. We've also included a letter to the editor on spirituality and mental health that arrived serendipitously (see page 41: “New Insights into Mental Illness”).

• On page 69, you'll find the article “Adult Rhino-sinusitis: Diagnosis and Management,” by J. David Osguthorpe, M.D., which exemplifies the AAFP's 2001 Annual Clinical Focus on asthma, allergy and respiratory infections. This article focuses on four subtypes of adult rhinosinusitis: acute, recurrent acute, subacute and chronic. Dr. Osguthorpe points out that sinusitis is one of the primary reasons for antibiotic prescriptions and lost productivity at work, and recommends that family physicians be aware of the variety of treatment modalities.

The ACF 2001: Asthma, Allergy and Respiratory Infections was launched at the 2000 Scientific Assembly in Dallas. ACF is an educational initiative created to bring family physicians state-of-the-art information about a specific area of medical practice. Core ACF elements are offered at the Assembly. Additional core elements include AFP monographs and patient education handouts. ACF-related topics are planned for national CME meetings throughout the year, and members receive an ACF CD-ROM at the conclusion of the yearlong program.

This year's ACF 2001 has been developed in cooperation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Lung Association, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the American Thoracic Society. The 2001 initiative is supported by educational grants from the following companies: Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; Schering Laboratories/Key Pharmaceuticals; Aventis Pharma; Glaxo Wellcome Inc.; Roche Laboratories; Pharmacia Corp., Diagnostics Division; and Alcon Laboratories Inc. Although ACF topic articles in AFP articles are not supported through grants from these companies, AFP participates in the ACF by labeling articles with the following logo:

• Don't forget the cover article on page 93: “Management of Ankle Sprains,” by Michael W. Wolfe, M.D., and colleagues. Beautifully illustrated by two fine AFP artists (cover art, featured above: William B. Westwood, Albany, N.Y., and inside art: Floyd Hosmer, Birmingham, Ala.), this article provides a practical review of the management of ankle sprains.