Robert M. Wolfe, MD, FAAFP
Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine
email: r-wolfe@northwestern.edu
Medical Interests
Psychopharmacology
Dermatology
Medical Informatics
Immunization
Preventive Medicine
Training / Education
Undergraduate:
University of Chicago
Medical School:
University of Chicago - Pritzker School of Medicine
Residency:
Northwestern University Medical Center in Pathology Residency
West Suburban Hospital Family Practice Residency
Faculty Development Training Program:
Cook County Hospital, Department of Family Medicine
Professional Society Memberships
American Academy of Family Physicians
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Selected Publications and Scholarly Activities:
Original, Peer-Reviewed Research Articles:
Kimmel SR, Burns IT, Wolfe RM, Zimmerman RK. Addressing immunization barriers, benefits, and risks. J Fam Pract. 2007;56(2 Suppl):S61-69. Available online at: http://www.jfponline.com/uploadedFiles/Journal_Site_Files/Journal_of_Family_Practice/supplement_archive/JFPSupp_Vaccines07_0207.pdf
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Vaccination or immunization? The impact of search terms on the Internet. J Health Commun. 2005;10:539–553.
Zimmerman RK, Wolfe RM, Fox DE, Fox JR, Nowalk MP, Troy JA, Sharp LK. Vaccine criticism on the world wide web. J Med Internet Res. 2005;7(2):e17. Available online at:http://www.jmir.org/2005/2/e17/
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK, Wang RM. Family physicians’ opinions and attitudes to three clinical practice guidelines. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2004 (Mar-Apr);17:150-157. Available online at: http://www.jabfp.org/cgi/content/full/17/2/150
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK, Lipsky MS. Content and design attributes of anti-vaccination web sites. JAMA. 2002;287:3245-3248. Available online at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/287/24/3245 (requires login)
Review articles (peer-reviewed) and Commentaries:
Kimmel SR, Burns IT, Wolfe RM, Zimmerman RK. Addressing immunization barriers, benefits, and risks. J Fam Pract. In publication.
Kimmel SR, Wolfe RM. Communicating the benefits and risks of vaccines. J Fam Pract. 2005;54:S51-S57. Available online here.
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Anti-vaccinationists past and present. BMJ. 2002;325:430-2. Available online at: http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7361/430
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Acts of faith: Religion, medicine, and the anti-vaccination movement. Park Ridge Center Bulletin. July-August 2000:9-10. Available online at: http://www.parkridgecenter.org/Page398.html
Book Chapters:
Wolfe RM, Woolf SH. Immunizations. Book chapter in: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice, ed. Woolf SH, Jonas S, Kaplan-Liss E. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA. In publication.
Spink A, Wolfe RM, Jansen BJ. Semantics and the Medical Healthcare Search. Book chapter in: Advances in Electronic Business, Vol 2, ed. Li EY, Du TC. Idea Group Inc, Hershey, PA. 2006.
Wolfe RM. Elevated liver enzymes. Book chapter in: Lipsky MS (ed.), AAFP Gastroenterology, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia 2000.
Editorials:
Wolfe RM. Vaccine safety activists on the Internet. Expert Rev. Vaccines. 2002;1(3):249-252. (invited editorial) full article pdf
Letters:
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Compliance with clinical guidelines and the 'law of thirds' [letter]. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2004 (Nov);17: 475 - 475. Available online at: http://www.jabfp.org/cgi/content/full/17/6/475
Wolfe RM. Beware of fans [letter]. BMJ. 2003 (Nov 22);327:1228. Available online at: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/327/7425/1228-b
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK, Lipsky MS. Antivaccination web sites [letter]. JAMA. 2002;288:1718. Available online at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/288/14/1717 (requires login)
Wolfe RM. Lithium therapy. Reference article online at Dynamed (http://www.dynamicmedical.com/). Posted September 3, 2002.
Wolfe RM. Family Practice Rounds: A chef with sudden-onset shortness of breath [use of warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation]. Fam Pract Recert. 2000;22(2):16-26.
Monographs:
Influenza: Taking the Lead in Prevention and Control. CME monograph based on the proceedings of a meeting of the Academic Leadership Council on Influenza Immunization, held February 25, 2006, Houston,Texas. Sponsored by the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Participants: Bratzler DW, Clover RD, Foster SL, Girton FS, Glezen WP, Gravenstein S, Greenberg SB, Keitel WA, Monto AS, Nichol KL, Wolfe RM.
Medical Software:
Developer of the FPM ICD-9 Reference for PDA. This is a file, created to run on the freeware program HandyShopper, which allows rapid searching of over 2,400 ICD-9 codes commonly used in family medicine. I developed the ICD-9 file and wrote the help files for both Palm OS and Pocket PC devices. These were published online by the journal Family Practice Management, in September, 2006. See comments by the editor of Family Practice Management: Edsall R. From the editor: a whole issue of doctor tools. Fam Pract Manag. 2006;13:14. Available online at: http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20060900/14awho.html
The Palm and Pocket PC files can be downloaded at: http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/journals/fpm/icd9.html
Media Appearances:
Dr. Wolfe was interviewed by reporter Madeleine Brand for the National Public Radio program "Day to Day." The program, "Educated Parents Avoiding Vaccinations," was aired on August 7, 2003. The program can be heard at http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=1388157
Presentations:
Wolfe RM. Tdap Vaccine: ACIP Recommendations and Contraindications. CME Lecture at MacNeal Hospital, Department of Family Medicine, Berwyn, IL. December 7, 2005.
Wolfe RM. The New ACIP Recommendations for Meningococcal Vaccine. CME Lecture at MacNeal Hospital, Department of Family Medicine. Berwyn, IL. May 4, 2005.
Wolfe RM. The History, Philosophy and Current Environment Related to the Antivaccination Movement. Closing presentation at the 2003 Illinois Immunization and Communicable Disease Conference and Downstate Bioterrorism Summit - Illinois Department of Public Health Illinois Public Health Association. Springfield, IL. July 16, 2003.
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Communicating with Vaccine Critics: Differentiating Hazard from Outrage. Abstract presented at the 37th National Immunization Conference of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chicago, IL. March 17, 2003.
Wolfe RM. Public response to vaccination: a historical study. Presented at Vaccination In Tomorrow’s Society: New Information Pathways, International Workshop (invitation only) organized by the Fondation Mérieux, Veyrier du Lac, France. February 26-28, 2003. Dr. Wolfe was also Chairperson for Session 5: Evaluation of Information Sources: Perspectives from the Public and the Media.
Wolfe RM. Antivaccinationists past and present. Lecture presented at the Cheltenham Postgraduate Medical Center, Cheltenham, England. February 13, 2003.
Sharp LK, Wolfe RM. (2002). Risk communication and childhood vaccination: Where have we failed?. Paper presented at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare. Warwick, England. September 19, 2002.
Wolfe RM. Abstract presentation: A Survey of Anti-vaccination Websites.36th National Immunization Conference of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 29 - May 2, 2002, Denver, Colorado.
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK. Seminar: “No Shots for My Kids!”— Communicating With Parents About Vaccines. 22nd Annual Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Conference on Families and Health, San Diego, California, March 1, 2002.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Academic Office Location
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Family and Community Medicine
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1301
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: (312) 503-1273
Fax: (312) 503-1377
Clinical Location
NorthShore University HealthSystem
Lincolnwood Primary Care
6810 N. McCormick Boulevard
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
Tel: (847) 674-6900
Fax: (847) 329-4381