Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2020
Telepsychiatric Consultation as a Training and Workforce Development Strategy for Rural Primary Care.
There is a shortage of rural primary care personnel with expertise in team care for patients with common mental disorders. Building the workforce for this population is a national priority. We investigated the feasibility of regular systematic case reviews through telepsychiatric consultation, within collaborative care for depression, as a continuous training and workforce development strategy in rural clinics. ⋯ Weekly systematic case reviews using telepsychiatric consultation served both as a model for patient care and as a training and workforce development strategy in rural primary care sites delivering collaborative care. These are important benefits to consider in implementing the collaborative care model of behavioral health integration.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2020
Immigrant Health and Changes to the Public-Charge Rule: Family Physicians' Response.
As the US federal government pursues immigration reform, changes to the federal public-charge rule have triggered confusion and concerns among patients who are immigrants. Although federal judges temporarily blocked implementation, a decision by the Supreme Court in January 2020 allowed the proposed changes to take effect. ⋯ This article summarizes the changes and exclusions. Family physicians can effectively respond to patient and immigrant community concerns about these changes by providing outreach education, access to primary health care, and referrals to legal and social services.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2020
In, But Out of Touch: Connecting With Patients During the Virtual Visit.
Covid-19 has rapidly changed physician-patient interaction, from hands-on to hands-off medicine. In this essay, 2 family physicians on different continents reflect on the meaning of touch in clinical practice and how virtual care is transforming this tacit aspect of patient care. Although technology enables physicians to stay in touch with patients verbally, we have lost the ability to physically touch. ⋯ But the silent language of touch fulfills a deeper symbolic function, enabling physicians to acknowledge patient concerns in a tangible way. Touch expresses healing, extending beyond skin-to-skin contact to express humanity, caring, and connection. As we adapt to novel technologies, we wonder how, as family physicians, we will adapt our clinical acumen to extend our ability to connect with patients.