EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF PATIENT-CENTERED PRACTICE TO INCLUDE NON-MEDICAL RESOURCES

Expanding the scope of medical mission volunteer groups to include a research component

BACKGROUND Serving on volunteer groups undertaking medical mission trips is a common activity for health care professionals and students. Although volunteers hope such work will assist underserved populations, medical mission groups have been criticized for not providing sustainable health services that focus on underlying health problems. As members of a volunteer medical mission group, we per...

Patient-centered Fertility Care: From Theory to Practice

Background & aim: Healthcare areas, especially fertility care (commonly accompanied with high emotions, as well as long-term and recurring treatment periods) could exclusively benefit from patient-centered care (PCC). Despite evident advantages of PCC, this approach has not been practiced as a routine procedure in current clinical environments yet, even in western developed countries. Therefore...

Expanding Access to Care: Scope of Practice Laws.

Allied health professionals play an integral role in providing safe, affordable care to communities in need. Laws that define the permissible scope of practice for these professionals may take full advantage of these providers and may unnecessarily restrict safe and effective care. Nurse practitioners in many states may provide care independent of a physician; research reveals that this care is...

Expanding the Toolbox: Methods to Study and Refine Patient-Centered Medical Home Models

Evaluation of patient centered medical home practice transformation initiatives.

BACKGROUND The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) has become a widely cited solution to the deficiencies in primary care delivery in the United States. To achieve the magnitude of change being called for in primary care, quality improvement interventions must focus on whole-system redesign, and not just isolated parts of medical practices. METHODS Investigators participating in 9 different ...