Primary care development in Southeast Asia: Building an essential foundation for health systems

Abstract

occurred, but much was left unresolved. Physicians there still struggle with a lack of adequate resources and an abundance of patients in need; all this is further complicated by a struggling economy and massive physician shortage. The Dartmouth Haiti Response was formed in response to the earthquake, and involved several specialized support teams traveling to the island to offer healthcare services. This began the start of a joint project that would aim to mutually benefit physicians-in-training in two very different medical settings. Structure/Method/Design: “Haiti Report” is a monthly resident’s morning report that involves videoconferencing between internal medicine residents at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and residents from Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais and Universite d’Etat de Haiti. At each report, a presenter will share an interesting patient case that is open for both groups of residents to discuss and work through. Outcomes & Evaluation: In this setting, Haitian residents can learn about the diagnostic and therapeutic process in patients who have often been referred from outside hospitals for higher level tertiary care. During the Haiti resident cases, Dartmouth-Hitchcock residents can learn the value of more basic investigative practices and what the best diagnostic and treatment strategies are when resources are scarce. Both parties can learn a great deal from each other in recognizing the vast differences in medical systems and how geo-political and socioeconomical factors play large roles in healthcare delivery. However, perhaps one of the most valuable lessons gained from these conferences is that despite so many differences in our backgrounds and resources, there are countless aspects of good patient care that are universal to all healthcare providers. Going Forward: This pilot project has had to withstand several challenges in its early years of development. The language barrier between residents was an initial concern and hindered the free flow of discussion between groups. Having bilingual presentation slides and a Funding: There is currently no funding required for this initiative. Abstract #: 02ETC053