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Understanding Health Systems
These online courses and resources were compiled and developed by an STFM task force to help faculty and residents:
- Understand how decisions are made in health systems
- Advocate for business-based solutions that incorporate the needs of medical education, family medicine, and health systems
- AMA Online Module: How Systems Thinking Applies to Health Care (free account required)
Learning Objectives: At the end of this activity, you will be able to:- Define systems thinking
- Explain the importance of systems thinking in clinical care
- Identify how a health system fits the definition of a complex system
- List the habits of systems-thinking health professionals and how they can be applied to improve clinical care
Supplemental Resources:
- Systems Thinking in the Healthcare Professions: A Guide for Educators and Clinicians (PDF)
This monograph helps faculty educate healthcare professionals as systems thinkers who will appreciate, navigate, and improve the systems within which they care for patients and populations. The monograph provides a basic understanding of
the metacognitive process of systems thinking and tools for design and assessment of educational activities, courses, and curricula.
- AMA Online Module: What to Know About Health Care Delivery Systems (free account required)
Learning objectives: At the end of this activity, you will be able to:- Identify the objectives, structures, processes, and outcomes of current health care systems in the United States
- Describe the ideal outcomes of health care systems
- Recognize how current health care systems are influenced by payment models and how this impacts patient care and the Triple Aim of better outcomes, improved patient experience, and lower costs and the Quadruple Aim that also works to ensure health care provider wellness and prevent burnout
- Examine how improvement strategies, population management, and data analytics can close gaps in health care systems regarding the Triple and Quadruple Aims
- AMA Online Module: What Are the Components of Value-Based Care? (free account required)
Learning Objectives: At the end of this activity, you will be able to:- Explain the concept of value and how it applies to health care
- Summarize the current state of value in US health care
- Describe the essential components of an ideal high-value health care system
- Identify the key barriers to patient-centered, high-value health care
- List strategies physicians can use to promote high-value care
- HCP Curriculum: Healthcare Costs and Payment Models PowerPoint and Facilitator's Guide
Learning Objectives: At the end of this activity, you will be able to:- Explain the basics of health insurance and coverage
- Demonstrate the complexity of health care costs and the large variation in out-of-pocket costs based on insurance status
- Weigh the impact of insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs with the ability to adhere to treatment recommendations
- Explore how provider reimbursement models can affect delivery of high value care
- Encourage physicians not to practice “one size fits all” medicine
Supplemental Resources
- Organization of the Health System in the United States
This chart from the Commonwealth Fund shows the flow of private and public funding in the US health care system.
Advocating Within Your Health System
Leading change in your home institution requires you to advocate for business-based solutions that meet the needs of the health system and medical education. STFM's new course will help you target messaging to decision makers in your health system. You'll learn the importance of using data and telling stories when advocating for change. Demonstrate the need for health system change by building a business case with costs and benefits that clearly support your request.
This course is available now for early access and will be released with additional content in Summer 2022.
Access the free Advocating Within Your Health System course by clicking this link.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Target messaging to decision makers within health systems
- Understand data’s role in advocacy efforts within health systems
- Identify data sets that can be used to support requests to health systems leaders
Supplemental Resources:
- Systems Thinking in the Healthcare Professions: A Guide for Educators and Clinicians (PDF)
This monograph developed by the George Washington University helps faculty educate healthcare professionals as systems thinkers who will appreciate, navigate, and improve the systems within which they care for patients and populations. The monograph provides a basic understanding of the metacognitive process of systems thinking and tools for design and assessment of educational activities, courses, and curricula. - Development of a Health Care Systems Curriculum
This paper published in Advances in Medical Education in Practice describes a UME health systems curriculum using a problem-based learning approach.
Curriculum is in development
Events
September 12-14, 2022: STFM Conference on Practice Quality & Improvement
January 26-29, 2023: STFM Conference on Medical Student Education
Deadlines
June 30, 2022: H. Winter Griffith Resident Scholarship Applications Due
July 21, 2022: STFM Board of Directors Student Representative Self-Nominations Due
July 21, 2022: STFM Board of Directors Resident Representative Self-Nominations Due
July 25, 2022: Leadership Through Scholarship Fellowship Faculty Position Applications Due
August 8, 2022: The Bishop Society Self-Nominations Due
August 15, 2022: The STFM Board of Directors' Self-Nominations Due
August 16, 2022: F. Marian Bishop Award Nominations Due
September 1, 2022: Volunteer Conference Submission Reviewer Applications Due
September 9, 2022: STFM Advocate Award Nominations Due
September 9, 2022: Advocacy Scholarship for New Faculty Nominations Due
September 15, 2022: Proposals to Present at the 2023 STFM Annual Spring Conference Due
September 16, 2022: STFM Committee Applications Due
September 26, 2022: Committee Nominations Due
October 3, 2022: New Faculty Scholar Applications Due
October 15, 2022: Nominations for the STFM Diversity Award Due
October 15, 2022: Innovative Award Program Nominations Due
October 15, 2022: Excellence in Education Award Nominations Due
October 15, 2022: Lynn and Joan Carmichael Recognition Award Nominations Due