"Medicine on wheels": an opportunity for outreach and housestaff education

Conn Med. 1994 Sep;58(9):535-9.

Abstract

Ambulatory-care teaching programs have been traditionally based in hospital settings. As many patients, in particular the homeless and underinsured, have never reached these settings, we describe a nontraditional outreach health-care program for medical residents. This multidisciplinary program places medical residents on a mobile van to deliver care to a population in New Haven where 18.2% of its families are below the poverty level and have limited or no access to health care at the teaching hospital. On-site urgent care is given along with HIV, pregnancy testing, and blood pressure screening. Health-care follow-up, dental care, alcohol detoxification, and drug counseling are scheduled. A total of 764 adult patients were seen between November 1991 and June 1993 by PGY2 residents on ambulatory rotations. One hundred forty-one patients consented to respond to a questionnaire. Thirty-seven (26%) were homeless with a mean length of homelessness of 15 months. Forty-one percent had been victimized within one year and 33% currently used illicit drugs. The benefits of this unique ambulatory teaching program for medical residents are described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Ambulatory Care / methods*
  • Connecticut
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons
  • Internal Medicine / education
  • Internship and Residency
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mobile Health Units*
  • Urban Population