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Show Caring Magazine How Physicians Are Advandng Medical Knowledge at IHC Which medical treatments yield the outcomes? Until recently, little data has been Roxanne remembered. After this frightening incident, Hannah was referred to The Children's Asthma at IHCs available to help physicians and other Program caregivers compare alternative treatments Center Educators taught Hannah and her family how to control and minimize asth- for specific patient populations. Sometimes, medical professionals need to discover which type of care is most effective in various situations; in other cases, Primary Children's Medical ma attacks. "Now we feel more in control of the situation," said Roxanne. The Children's Asthma Program is one of MANAGING James measures his blood sugar regularly during the day, and the results are stored in his glucometer. When he comes DIABETES several initiatives designed to improve the way asthma is treated at IHC. In the James Webb felt sick. He was always thirsty, his vision was blurry, and he past, caregivers have approached asthma in different ways in different parts of the fered from frequent headaches. Driving home from work one day, he was so then consistently applying "best practices' remains one of tire most pressing in medicine. state and country. Today that's changing, according to Derek Uchida, M.D., director uncomfortable he had to pull over. Referred to Todd Eberhard, M.D., at the IHC Health Center in Roy, Utah, James was Thats why IHC is encouraging physicians to discover what works best for their everyone speak the same language in asthma care," he said. "We are adapting the diagnosed with diabetes. been participating on an and then to apply this knowledge consistently in their practices. IHC seeks to eliminate obstacles that may be National Institutes of Health asthma tice' team studying diabetes. guidelines for use throughout IHC, based on significant input from primary care physicians along with what we've learned has helped design an education process and also a computer-base- d method that doctors agree on what should be done, but other obstacles hinder the consistent delivery of best care. The challenge of identifying and patients standing in the way of the best possible health care. Clinical teams are studying care processes and outcome data to create treatment guidelines. The guidelines are never considered 'perfect" and are contin- of the program. "Our goal is to have here at Primary Children's." Besides offering a strong educational component for patients and families, the program works with primary care physicians to coordinate services and track data ually improved; moreover, doctors are always free to exercise their judgment and and outcomes in consistent ways. The goal is to minimize emergency hospitalizations depart from the guidelines where they feel it's in the patient's best interest to do so. and improve the quality of patients' lives. Dr. Eberhard review charts showing how closely his sugars are being controlled. "Its actually fun to see how well Tm doing," James said. Careful management of chronic prac- The team diseases like asthma and diabetes is the and all the key to avoiding complications ensuing costs of suffering and hospitalizations. of ux in the provision of Here are two patients who have benefited from the research at IHC. hc-l- ir can: services io communities in the rejort The best clinical practice delivered in a consistent and Lowest appropriate cost to the population we serve. service eperience, supported by systems and processes, patient a 4 the health plans member. A ASTHMA Hannah Kanunerer was diagnosed with asthma when she was two years old. her lungs had started to shut down," and is an organization driven by a mission excellence and guided by a dear vision and a set of explicitly defined values. Our mission, vision, and values help I. !C &r Lyees and psysidans wck together in the pursuit of ever higher star,d:ds IHC VISION Hannah to the hospital and the doctors admitted her immediately. "They told me "best the nurse plugs his s, glucometer into the computer and automatically downloads the data. Then James IHC outcomes improve. abruptly disappeared. She didn't appear to be in distress, but her mother, Roxanre, felt something was wrong. She took has Dr. Eberhard IHC check-up- no Mission, vision, mu values Intenreuntain Frequently sick, she was wheezing and coughing one day, when her symptoms in for his helps patients like James manage their blood sugar levels. But as clinicians discuss treatment options and apply what they leam consistently, TREATING suf- grv 'e c i: g" ard A me An IHC lers, fa r that gives concern in oar interactions as, and one a t , X heel Ji way. that focuses on the with patients, health plans "n Ji e ty praviJleg affordable, measyraldy excellent health oaracn.es and customer service. 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