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Article of the Month
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Arts & Cultural Events
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The premise of this article is that the
15 minute office visit perpetuates disparities in health
outcomes among socially and economically disadvantaged
patients. More time is needed than the 15 minute visit
to overcome significant challenges in communication
between the physician and the patient. Among these
challenges are: a health partnership with a
patient and communicating across language, culture
and level of health literacy; a heavy load of symptoms
and illnesses suffered by these patients and impairments
that impede communication; addressing barriers to
specialty referral and treatment adherence. The
Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is the suggested
solution that has been recommended by primary care
physician organizations and is beginning to receive
support from payers. PCMH is already being
implemented in may practices including the Veterans
Administration Hospitals. A primary care team
might consist of 1 physician, 1 nurse practitioner, a
patient panel manager and several registered nurses or
medical assistants. In PCMH, all members of the
team are trained to help patients take more active roles
in their own care.
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Did You Know? |
- Among Asian-American groups, Vietnamese Americans are more
likely to seek help for mental health problems.
- A higher percentage of low income and/or less educated women
receive total mastectomy rather tan BCT (breast conserving
treatment) for early stage breast carcinoma.
- Asthma is the leading chronic disease among Latino children
- Foreign born children are 5 times more likely to have high
blood levels of lead than are US born children.
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