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Biomedical subjects

Cheryl A Maurana

Publications and source records attributed to Cheryl A Maurana.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Overcoming barriers to effective community-based participatory research in US medical schools.

Research to improve the health of communities benefits from the involvement of community members. Accordingly, major federal and foundation funding agencies are soliciting health promotion/disease prevention programme proposals that require active community participation. However, creating such partnerships is difficult. Communities often perceive conventional research as paternalistic, irrelevant to their needs, manipulative, secretive and invasive of privacy. Many institutions and researchers view community knowledge as lacking in value. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative partnership approach to research that equitably involves community members, organizational representatives and researchers in all aspects of the research process. In this article the authors consider the barriers to institutional change and faculty participation in CBPR, and propose some steps for overcoming the barriers and making CBPR an integral part of a medical institution's research agenda. Training and supporting faculty in the philosophy and methods of this approach is the cornerstone of improved community-based research.

Community Health Planning↗
PubMed2004

The Milwaukee General Assistance Medical Program: patient perspectives on primary care in an urban safety net.

PURPOSE: The General Assistance Medical Program (GAMP) is a managed care model that provides a network of services through community-based clinics and area hospitals. An evaluation of the program included patient focus groups to determine the effectiveness of this safety net. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with patients at various hospital and community-based clinics. Researchers identified patterns and themes that emerged from the data. RESULTS: The focus groups had the following themes: (1) eligibility and enrollment policies, (2) patient advocacy, (3) primary care access, and (4) patient recommendations for improving GAMP. DISCUSSION: Patient feedback allowed for several improvements in the GAMP system, including an overview seminar and health education materials for new enrollees. Future research could include studying similar safety nets and public insurance programs to compare to GAMP. GAMP still faces many challenges as the "safety net" providing care to these populations in Milwaukee.

Community Medicine↗
PubMed2002

Service-learning in healthy aging for medical students and family medicine residents.

INTRODUCTION: Community-based educational opportunities can diversify and strengthen traditional clinical education. With growing diversity of patient populations and increasing life expectancy, it is imperative that medical students and residents prepare for practice within this context. The Center for Healthy Communities in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA developed a community-based, service-learning program in healthy aging to address this need. OBJECTIVES: The goals of the Chat and Chew program are to: generate medical student/ resident awareness of community health, aging, and diversity; train medical students/ residents to present health information to older, minority community members; encourage medical students/residents to view community members as "teachers" as well as patients; and provide needed health information and socialization opportunities to elderly public housing tenants. IMPLICATIONS: Medical students and residents gain the opportunity to interact with community members about the health issues that concern them. They also benefit from seeing community members in their real life context and learning about their health-related experiences. The housing tenants help shape how future patients will be understood and treated by the physicians who participated in the service-learning program. The purpose of this article is to: (1) provide an overview of service-learning and the Chat and Chew program, including reflection components; and (2) discuss how this program has become an integral part of the family medicine residency curriculum.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Involvement of family and community medicine professionals in community projects.

OBJECTIVE: Medical schools are being challenged to continue their excellence in education, research, and patient care while responding to the health needs of the public. The objective of our study was to determine the nature and type of community involvement of professionals in departments of family and community medicine. STUDY DESIGN: We mailed a 24-item structured survey to a random national sample of family medicine professionals. POPULATION: Survey recipients included 770 full-time physician and nonphysician active members of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Our survey assessed community activities, challenges and incentives to those activities, and desired resources for working in the community. RESULTS: A total of 446 usable surveys were returned (58% response rate). Ninety-five percent of respondents had participated in a community activity within the previous year. More male respondents precepted medical students or residents and educated faculty on topics regarding community education; more older respondents participated by sitting on community health boards or councils. Insufficient release time and lack of funding were the 2 most frequently cited barriers to community-based activities. CONCLUSIONS: Most faculty are involved in community-related teaching and service. Reasons for low levels of research and subgroup differences, especially among women and young faculty, merit further research.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leadership in a public housing community.

Community Health Advocate (CHA) programs train community members to assist and advocate for other members of the community regarding health and other community issues. These programs have been successful in improving the health and quality of life of communities. We developed a CHA program in a single public housing development. This program faced unique challenges since the advocates both worked and lived in the same setting. However, confronting and resolving these issues ultimately enhanced the quality of the program.

Community Health Planning↗