Introduction
In the ever-evolving field of healthcare, it's crucial for practitioners to continuously seek improvement and innovation. Recent research, as discussed in the article "Adopting locally the lessons learned globally: a call to action for academic medical centres in the USA," provides valuable insights into how U.S. Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) can enhance their impact on local communities by adopting successful global health strategies. This blog post will explore key findings from the research and offer actionable steps for practitioners to implement these strategies effectively.
The Global Context
Over the past two decades, U.S. AMCs have significantly increased their global engagement, primarily by supporting research, training, and health service delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These global efforts have resulted in the adoption of evidence-based policies and practices that have proven successful in improving health outcomes abroad. However, the research highlights a gap in the application of these lessons within local U.S. communities, where health disparities persist.
Key Lessons for Local Implementation
The research outlines several key steps that U.S. AMCs can take to improve local health outcomes by adopting lessons learned globally:
- Include Community Health Metrics: Incorporate community health as a measure of success for AMCs and adjust financial incentives to encourage local engagement.
- Support Public Health Departments: Establish or enhance public health or community health departments to bridge the gap between clinical care and community health services.
- Form Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with local stakeholders, including governmental and non-profit organizations, to address complex health issues through multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches.
- Prioritize Capacity Strengthening: Focus on building the capacity of local health stakeholders to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.
- Increase Diversity in Governance: Enhance the diversity of governance bodies to include representatives from community-based organizations and patient advocacy groups.
- Innovate in Health Service Delivery: Transform local neighborhoods into hubs of innovation by integrating care between health facilities and communities.
Practical Steps for Practitioners
Practitioners can play a pivotal role in implementing these strategies by:
- Advocating for the inclusion of community health metrics in their institution's mission and performance evaluations.
- Engaging with local public health departments to identify opportunities for collaboration and support.
- Participating in or initiating strategic partnerships with local organizations to address health disparities.
- Contributing to capacity-building efforts by sharing expertise and resources with local stakeholders.
- Promoting diversity and inclusion within governance structures to ensure a broad range of perspectives are considered.
- Exploring innovative models of care that integrate community health workers and leverage technology for better health outcomes.
Conclusion
By adopting the lessons learned globally, U.S. AMCs have the potential to significantly improve health outcomes in their local communities. Practitioners can drive this transformation by actively engaging in efforts to integrate community health into their practice and advocating for systemic changes within their institutions. To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Adopting locally the lessons learned globally: a call to action for academic medical centres in the USA.
