Advocacy and Community Outreach
At our last meeting, we discussed community outreach, how to become involved, and why this involvement is important in our future practice. We also heard about the example of rural communities and understanding their setup, cultural practices, hierarchal importance, considerations for effective communication, etc.
Please share your thoughts on the class.
Our discussion reminded me of the importance of getting to know the community in which we will practice. Having this awareness is essential for both scientific and practical reasons: epidemiology and environmental influences on disease, cultural practices regarding patients’ healthcare and lifestyle choices, maximal efficacy of treatment interventions, enhanced communication with patients and their families, available community resources, etc. Ultimately, this knowledge will enable us to be effective physicians offering the best quality of holistic care.
ReplyDeleteI often wonder where I will end up practicing and what kind of patients I will treat. Imagining these hypothetical situations often leaves me wondering more about the patients, their lives, and how I can play a positive role in that story. The starting point is getting to know them better, and community involvement is incredibly helpful in that endeavor. Also, HEAL has shown me that there is always a place for those willing to become involved. Programs and organizations within the community are our best allies, and if they don’t exist, someone is more than likely willing to start them.
I thought the characterization of rural communities was quite interesting, and very similar to what I imagined such a characterization would entail. I personally know that I am a very urban-centered person, but I would truly like to help people who have little access to healthcare. I have a physician friend who works in Atlanta but has a clinic in a rural community where she works once a week. I may one day work toward such a model since this would allow me to reach a variety of people but would allow me to live in the city as well.
ReplyDeleteA major concern about an entirely rural practice that I have is that I imagine it being easier to specialize than have extensive, broad skills. Family physicians in rural areas are likely to be involved in emergency, obstetric, and minor surgical care on top of regular family medicine "duties" because of a limited physician pool in the surrounding area. One would have to be very comfortable handling almost any situation without outside assistance in choosing to practice rural medicine.
Community outreach is something that has always been important to me. In today's class discussion I learned even more reasons that community outreach is beneficial not only to the community but also to those engaging in outreach. As a doctor community outreach is important especially because of the impact that it can have on your patient population. Outreach allows you to have a better understanding of a patient’s culture and of the things that are important in their daily lives. In a more simple form outreach is also beneficial for doctors because it allows them to have a greater presence in the community, increasing their patient base.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of today's class that dealt with rural communities and communication was a new topic for me. I have a lot of family in South Georgia and although I am aware that they speak and do things differently, I had never really considered what impact that could have on me as a physician. In history taking and gathering information from patients it could cause for detrimental miscommunications. I now know to choose my own words carefully, ask for clarification, and even repeat back statements in my own words to make sure that I understand correctly.
Today was a great way to gain exposure to the culture of rural communities. I feel that it is always important to be able to gauge your audience and know how to speak and interact with them most appropriately and effectively. With this, learning about residents' different perspectives of physicians in communities in more rural regions allows me to better serve them and help them feel that they are appropriately being taken care of.
ReplyDeleteWith such limited access to physicians in rural communities, I can only imagine what it would feel like to travel 2-3 hrs with a loved one during an emergency. Knowing this really drives me to consider working in a rural community at least during part of my practice. At the same time, knowing this information further emphasizes how you should treat your patients in more urban cities as well. Sometimes you may not know who just drove such a long time to come to the appointment that day. Thus, I feel that overall it comes down to knowing your patients well so that you can serve them in the best manner.