Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
A qualitative study of strategies and challenges in training behavioral health workforce for integrated primary care.
COVID-19 has underscored the need to accelerate behavioral health (BH) integration in primary care, where many patients seek mental health services. Expanding BH integration requires a strong and sustainable BH workforce trained to work in primary care. Psychology internship is a critical period of development when doctorate-level therapists receive supervised clinical experiences with integrated primary care. ⋯ Future recommendations include early exposure to primary care during psychology graduate training, a hybrid model of fixed and flexible supervision schedules, and intentional efforts to define and balance in-person and remote teaching for different types of training needs.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Family physician virtual care during COVID-19 in London-Middlesex, Ontario, Canada: a mixed methods exploration.
Context: On March 14, 2020, the Ontario, Canada health insurance plan approved COVID-19 physician virtual billing codes; family physicians (FPs) rapidly adopted a new model of care. Virtual care may remain post-pandemic; however, its future should be informed by evidence that considers access and continuity. Objective: 1) to determine FP virtual visit volumes and patient characteristics and 2) to explore FPs' perspectives on virtual visit adoption and implementation. ⋯ FP offices remained open despite PPE concerns but overall volumes dropped initially. Vulnerable and sicker patients received care but FPs expressed concern for highly vulnerable and rural residents. FPs believed they could offer patient-centred care over the phone but indicated the importance of maintaining in-person care to build relationships.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Virtual community outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic: addressing health disparities for vulnerable populations.
Context: COVID-19 has worsened health disparities among vulnerable populations, including minority and non-English-speaking populations. Community outreach is an effective method to bridge the gap for those populations. Virtual Community Outreach (VCO) emerged as a novel and sustainable approach during the pandemic but is unstudied. ⋯ Conclusions: VCO can be a novel and useful method to improve health literacy for those with vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. VCO also may expand primary care access to that population, as attendees meet clinicians through virtual lectures and learn about the clinic. Also, through VCO, the clinic can reach and recruit diverse patients.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
Planning, operationalizing, and evaluating patient partners' engagement in primary care research: a logic model.
Context. There is growing evidence supporting patients' engagement (PE) in primary care research to improve the quality, relevance, and uptake of research. However, guidance is still needed to plan and operationalize this engagement during the research process. ⋯ These activities lead to the following benefits for health research: improved communication amongst all team members, results and knowledge translation; development of a PE culture; capacity building; democratization of health research; and for healthcare: improved implementation of the intervention; improved patient engagement in their care; better health outcomes and resource utilization; support of decision-makers and clinicians; and better practices. Conclusions. The logic model may be useful for the planning, operationalization and evaluation of PPE in primary care research programs.
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Annals of family medicine · Apr 2022
One year of COVID: primary care learning experiences in a health system.
Context: Patients and communities consider their primary care clinicians (PCC's) to be their most trusted source of information. During the first 12 months of the COVID pandemic, initially reliable, accurate information was scare, evolving, and at times conflicting. From testing, public health prevention, treatment, and vaccinations clinicians had to learn, apply, and convey this information honestly and openly. ⋯ Conclusions: During the pandemic, primary care clinicians provided a broad array of clinical services, and are a source of information for colleagues, patients, and communities. They rely on a broad array of sources for reliable information, mostly relationship-based, not formal CME. The trusted relationships primary care clinicians have with others throughout their communities was essential in promulgating accurate reliable information during the first year of the pandemic.