One of my jobs as founder of HICCup, the organization supporting Wellville, is speaking to the press and at industry events about our work – its importance and potential to produce health in a sustainable way for so many people and communities. Usually there’s some paperwork I have to complete for event organizers, so they can let people attending know what to expect. Here’s how I answered questions the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians asked about my “Continuing Medical Education Lecture” (i.e., a talk!) at their Michigan Family Medicine Annual Conference & Expo in Bay City, MI, July 11 to 14. Every time I’m asked questions like these, it gives a chance to think a little more deeply about how to explain what we do to outsiders — and why it’s so important.
SESSION INFORMATION
You are scheduled to present the following session(s):
Social Determinants of Health [Wednesday, July 13 | 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.] Keynote/General Session
REQUIRED CME INFORMATION FOR EACH SESSION
To obtain continuing medical education (CME) credit for your session(s), the MAFP Foundation MUST have the following information on file for each session you are presenting.
- Identify the professional practice gap(s), explaining the difference between the actual and ideal performance and/or patient outcomes: My mission is to reduce the gap between general intentions to make people healthy, and actually doing so. The gap comprises lack of clear goals, plus effective tools/programs to deliver them, effective measurement, and accountability for the results. All in all, that requires people willing to put themselves at rick of NOT achieving the goals.
- Based on the gap described in question #1, what are the expected results for the learners who will participate in your session? How does it relate to the scope of practice of the learners who will participate in your session? The expected results is that some subset of the learners will go back to their jobs with renewed energy and courage to do what is right, and with some arguments and examples to persuade their colleagues to work with them on achieving specific goals in their area of work.
- What anticipated barriers may block implementation of achieving the session’s expected results? The learners are busy, have day jobs, don’t want to disrupt things, etc. They have fixed budgets with no funds for new projects…even for projects that will save money in the long run.
- What issues of patient safety may need to be addressed during this session? None. The learners are being asked to apply known and proved processes and approaches to produce health in their populations.
- What are the learner objectives for your session? [A minimum of three is required.]
- Objective #1: Understand how to define and measure goals
- Objective #2: Understand the importance of accountability
- Objective #3: Learn to perceive (some) mistakes as the cost of education
- Objective #4: Have courage!