PCIC’s board chair, Dr. David Buck, along with Dr. Stephanie Barker and Dr. Nick Maguire from the University of Southampton (a partner of PCIC), presented the “Values-Based Engagement in Healthcare” to an audience of international healthcare professionals at the fifteenth annual Street Medicine Institute Symposium, in Pittsburg, PA.
In their presentation, they discussed the complexities of navigating through a complicated healthcare system, especially for vulnerable patients. For these individuals, who are frequent users of the emergency department, little consideration may be given to their personal values, due to their volatile health status and social environments. It is shown that one’s health is determined by four main factors, known as Social Determinants of Health (SDoH): health behaviors (e.g. diet, exercise, substance abuse and sexual activity), clinical care (i.e. access to quality care), social and economic factors (e.g. education, employment, and social support), and physical environment (e.g. air and water quality, shelter, and safety).
By using PCIC’s Unified Care Continuum Platform (UCCP) to create and manage a cohesive care plan around each patient’s values, aspirations, and restricting SDoH, Drs. Buck, Barker and Maguire demonstrated how healthcare management can be improved in terms of better outcomes for the patient and greater expense avoidance for the industry. Integrating this approach gives these complex individuals a chance to regain control over their life.
