Population Health Initiatives for Primary Care at Duke University School of Medicine

Abstract

To help shape the future of health care in North Carolina, Duke University School of Medicine has implemented several new initiatives aimed at providing primary care providers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to improve population health and health care.A n aging population, growing obesity rates, and increases in chronic disease are stressing the services of primary care practices in North Carolina. To adapt to these changes, primary care providers must learn to work smarterby adopting public health viewpoints, analyzing health data, using teams, and partnering with the community. To this end, Duke University School of Medicine is developing population health training for medical students, residents, and faculty members that will help them address adverse health trends and disparities in health and health care.

Training for Future Generations

“…The curriculum spans all four years and includes organizing service projects in the community, working with a community agency on health issues weekly during the LIC, a shared experience in Primary Care Seminars, and the implementation of a population health improvement project [9]. Outcomes to date include increasing primary care residency placement in a traditionally specialty-driven environment, plus the program's early focus on social determinants of health raises awareness across medical professionals [10].…”

Innovations in the Education of Health Professionals

“…Over the past decade, several new public health training programs have opened at universities in North Carolina, the UNC School of Medicine has added population health as a core competency for all medical students, and a number of DNP programs have begun to include population health in their curricula. The commentary by Sheline and colleagues [27] describes efforts by Duke University School of Medicine to incorporate population health and leadership into its curriculum, both for medical students and for family medicine residents. The Primary Care Leadership Track at Duke, which was launched in 2011, offers a special curriculum in population health, leadership, quality improvement, and related topics to a select group of students who plan to pursue leadership positions in primary care.…”