Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients Seen on August 5, 2019 at Broadway Family Medicine Clinic (n = 89)
Characteristic Frequency (%) 3+ problems addressed at visit 49 3+ chronic conditions on problem list 60 At least 1 psychiatric diagnosis on problem list 62 On at least 1 psychiatric medication 43 Chronic or previous substance use disorder 39 Both psychiatric diagnosis and substance use disorder on problem list 36 At least 1 medical diagnosis plus 1 psychiatric or substance use disorder diagnosis 64
Additional Files
The Article in Brief
Michelle's Story: The Complexity of Patient Care in a Family Medicine Residency Clinic
Kathryn Justesen, and colleagues
Background The authors use a patient story to put into context their experiences as family physicians who care for patients with complex health care needs that go beyond just physical symptoms or a single morbidity.
What This Study Found Family physicians care for patients with increased medical complexity, which may include both medical and mental health diagnoses, and are often combined with substance abuse disorders and low socioeconomic status. The authors’ experiences highlight the importance of addressing social determinants of health, which they say permeate the context of health and health care. Factors such as financial challenges, limited transportation, food insecurity and low health literacy have a profound influence on health.
Implications
- Family physicians are in a unique position to treat patients appropriately and efficiently by embracing the complexities of the patients they encounter. By doing so, family physicians can help improve health outcomes and manage health care costs in patient populations that increasingly present with complex health needs.
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