Annals of family medicine
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Annals of family medicine · Mar 2004
The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community.
Recognizing fundamental flaws in the fragmented US health care systems and the potential of an integrative, generalist approach, the leadership of 7 national family medicine organizations initiated the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) project in 2002. The goal of the project was to develop a strategy to transform and renew the discipline of family medicine to meet the needs of patients in a changing health care environment. ⋯ The leadership of US family medicine organizations is committed to a transformative process. In partnership with others, this process has the potential to integrate health care to improve the health of all Americans.
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Annals of family medicine · Mar 2004
Practice Guideline GuidelineScreening for family and intimate partner violence: recommendation statement.
This statement summarizes the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for family and intimate partner violence based on the USPSTF's examination of evidence specific to family and intimate partner violence. ⋯ S. Preventive Services Task Force." The USPSTF recommendations, the accompanying summary article, and complete Systematic Evidence Review are available through the USPSTF web site (http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov). The summary article and the USPSTF recommendation statement are available in print through the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse (call 1-800-358-9295 or e-mail ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov).
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Mixed methods or multimethod research holds potential for rigorous, methodologically sound investigations in primary care. The objective of this study was to use criteria from the literature to evaluate 5 mixed methods studies in primary care and to advance 3 models useful for designing such investigations. ⋯ We recommend instrument-building, triangulation, and data transformation models for mixed methods designs as useful frameworks to add rigor to investigations in primary care. We also discuss the limitations of our study and the need for future research.
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Annals of family medicine · Jan 2004
The TLC model of palliative care in the elderly: preliminary application in the assisted living setting.
Substantial shortfalls in the quality of palliative care of the elderly can be attributed to 5 fundamental flaws in the way end-of-life care is currently delivered. First, palliative care is viewed as a terminal event rather than a longitudinal process, resulting in a reactive approach and unnecessary preterminal distress in elderly patients suffering from chronic, slowly progressive illnesses. Second, palliative care is defined in terms of a false dichotomy between symptomatic and disease-focused treatment, which distracts attention from the proper focus of healing illness. ⋯ In this model, optimal palliative care is envisioned as timely and team oriented, longitudinal, collaborative and comprehensive. The model is informed by the chronic illness care, shared decision making, and comprehensive geriatric assessment research literature, as well as previous palliative care research. Preliminary results of an intervention for elderly assisted living residents based on the TLC model support its promise as a framework for optimizing palliative care of elders.
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The delivery of health care is in the process of "industrialization" in that it is undergoing changes in the organization of work which mirror those that began in other industries a century ago. This process is characterized by an increasing division of labor, standardization of roles and tasks, the rise of a managerial superstructure, and the degradation (or de-skilling) of work. The consolidation of the health care industry, the fragmentation of physician roles, and the increasing numbers of nonphysician clinicians will likely accelerate this process. Although these changes hold the promise of more efficient and effective health care, physicians should be concerned about the resultant loss of autonomy, disruption of continuity of care, and the potential erosion of professional values.