The Social and Community Contexts of Health Care

The competent graduate recognizes the diverse factors that influence the health of the individual and the community; identifies the sociocultural, familial, psychological, economic, environmental, legal, political and spiritual factors impacting health care and health care delivery; and responds to these factors by planning and advocating the appropriate course of action at both the individual and community levels.

Deanna Willis, M.D., M.B.A
Competency Director, The Social and Community Contexts of Health Care

View Video Clip
Patricia Keener, M.D.
Former Competency Director, The Social and Community Contexts of Health Care

Sample Learning Experiences:

• Videotape (length: 22 minutes) with companion case study Opening Doors—Reducing Sociocultural Barriers to Health Care “The Case Study of Jamal Hayes.” Filming of this educational piece was done in the Hawthorne Community (near west side, Indianapolis). Materials were developed with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. This activity has been made available to all ICM I courses statewide. It could be used appropriately in other courses as well. See insert for more information. To obtain a copy, please contact Tracy Phillips at (317) 630-6188.
• Problem Solving Exercise Index cards can be created for role playing or discussion opportunities. Cards may list physician and student variables like age, gender, religion, chance characteristics and chief complaint. This type of activity makes apparent to medical students that EACH patient encounter is unique and involves sociocultural and other variables that impact the need to review the scientific knowledge base in light of all variables presented. Basic science instructors can easily weave this interactive exercise into session topics that require students to understand that minor variations of the facts presented can lead to entirely different conclusions about and treatment of patients they encounter. This exercise can be adapted for use in both large and small group sessions.

Bibliography

For more details on this competency, please click here.