Increasing PFAS Awareness through Clinician Outreach and Education through the Appletree Cooperative Agreement with Michigan

With the emergence of PFAS contamination, healthcare providers have experienced an influx of patients who want blood testing to determine their exposure to PFAS. Patients also have questions about the health effects associated with PFAS exposure. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), working through ATSDR’s cooperative agreement program (APPLETREE), formed a team to respond to these patient needs.

The MDHHS team has physicians, health educators, and epidemiologists who created a series of trainings to help healthcare providers and patients understand PFAS blood testing and screenings. The presentations also answered common patient questions about PFAS and exposure to these chemicals. MDHHS presented three grand rounds series during 2019 at prominent hospital systems in Michigan. Additionally, APPLETREE staff directly mailed information packets to physicians in areas of known contamination in the state. These packets included a cover letter, a clinician guidance document, and several factsheets, reaching more than 120 physicians directly through trainings and several hundred more clinicians via mailers and online content.

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