Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Nov 2013
Patients' experiences in different models of community health centers in southern China.
Current health care reforms in China have an overall goal of strengthening primary care through the establishment and expansion of primary care networks based on community health centers (CHCs). Implementation in urban areas has led to the emergence of different models of ownership and management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the primary care experiences of patients in the Pearl River Delta as measured by the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) and the relationships with ownership and management in the 3 different models we describe. ⋯ This study suggests that government-owned and -managed CHCs may be able to provide better first-contact care in terms of utilization and coordination of care, and may be better at solving the problem of underutilization of the CHCs as the first-contact point of care, one key problem facing the reforms in China.
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Annals of family medicine · Nov 2013
Cultivating a cycle of trust with diverse communities in practice-based research: a report from PRIME Net.
Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are increasingly seen as important vehicles to translate research into practice, although less is known about the process of engaging diverse communities in PBRN research. The objective of this study was to identify strategies for successfully recruiting and retaining diverse racial/ethnic communities into PBRN research studies. ⋯ Our participants suggest that approaches to research that lay a foundation of trust, demonstrate respect for community members, and extend beyond the enrollment and data collection phases are essential to enhance the participation of diverse populations in PBRN research. These findings offer the PBRN community a guide toward achieving this important goal.
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Annals of family medicine · Nov 2013
What do you expect from a doctor? Six habits for healthier patient encounters.
Expectations lie at the heart of America's health care crisis. Although doctors cannot control for the unrealistic demands of a consumer-centric society, we might ask what we would want in a physician. Someone who listens longer and lets us express ourselves in our own words? Someone who cares about the outcome-our personal outcome-and not just the "clinical course"? Most patients do not demand perfection. ⋯ Not even relief, no matter what the TV commercials promise or how badly they wish them to be true. What we all desire is a plan that connects us to another human being-our doctor-which is a kind of relief all its own. The author identifies 6 simple habits that will lead to healthier, happier encounters with patients and their illness.