Cost-Effectiveness of Pediatric Hand International Medical Missions

Medical mission trips help meet the needs of underserved populations in the United States and abroad. As the medication experts, pharmacists play an important role in providing pharmacy services during these trips. Students can serve as pharmacist extenders by applying the knowledge, skills, and values learned in the classroom to reach more patients in resourcelimited settings. This paper describes the experience of the Gregory School of Pharmacy in sponsoring faithbased domestic and international medical missions. We believe that medical missions not only benefit those in need, but also foster professional growth and provide an opportunity for participants to develop a servantleadership mindset. Unlike the traditional leader, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

Download Full-text

Raising the Quality of Care During Medical Missions: A Survey to Assess the Need for Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Services in International Medical Missions

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.5858/arpa.2011-0633-oa ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 137 (5) ◽

pp. 637-641 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Agne Naujokas

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Quality Of Care ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

International Medical ◽

Medical Missions ◽

Care Providers ◽

Underserved Communities ◽

Anatomic Pathology ◽

Survey Results

Context.—Providing basic medical care to patients in underserved communities around the world is a valuable service and should not be compromised. Limited publicly available information on the use of pathology services during short-term medical missions (STMMs) shows a dire need for the improved quality of care being provided. Objective.—To assess the need for clinical and anatomic pathology services in international medical missions by conducting an online survey. Design.—A survey containing 35 questions aimed to understand the current use and availability of routine laboratory tests during STMMs, identify the need for particular tests that would improve quality of care, and determine the perceived obstacles preventing the delivery of the care to underserved communities worldwide. Answers from 21 health care providers who served on 50 medical missions were assessed. Results.—Survey results revealed a significant discrepancy between the availability of pathology services in the United States and during STMMs. Statistical significance (P< .001) was found in areas of routine blood work, cytopathology, and histologic evaluation, among many others. More than half of the STMMs did not have access to basic metabolic panel, rapid hepatitis B test, and microbial cultures. Another 28% of health care providers indicated that having human immunodeficiency virus testing would have improved health care quality. Conclusions.—Survey results show the need for improved pathology support during STMMs. The lack of precise diagnosis and disease monitoring has a negative effect on the quality of care provided during missions and the ability to enhance global health.

Download Full-text