Family medicine
-
There continue to be significant racial and ethnic disparities in rates of childhood and adult immunizations in the United States. The causes are multifactorial, including inequities in education, income, and socioeconomic status; structural and systemic barriers in the health care delivery system; and beliefs, preferences, and practice patterns of the recipients and providers of care. ⋯ The individual clinician can contribute to the narrowing of this gap by being informed of and using available national and regional resources, implementing national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services, and using every clinical encounter to assure that vaccination is offered and provided. Specific action steps are suggested.
-
Houston Outreach Medicine Education and Social Services teaches students, in multidisciplinary teams, using the learner-centered model, to provide primary health care to the homeless. ⋯ Student participants, especially basic science medical students, value the program due to its contributions to their professional and personal education, as well as their increased understanding of biopsychosocial issues. Learners develop empathy, compassion, and heightened social awareness.
-
Since July 2002, family practice residency program accreditation requires evidence of teaching and assessing residents in six competency areas. This study was conducted to obtain baseline information about family practice graduates' perceptions of the importance of specific competencies and the extent to which residency training prepared them to perform skills representative of the six competency areas. ⋯ Areas of residency education that appear to warrant improvement include education about system aspects of care, practice-based learning and improvement, and selected professionalism issues.