Created by a group of medical students, the ImproveHealthCare.org Web site aims to inform the next generation of physicians about the major issues in health care today and their effects on the practice of medicine. Through case studies, lectures, videos, and other resources, users can learn about health care quality, access to care, and health disparities.
Organization: Harvard Medical School Target Populations: Medical students, medical residents, practicing physicians
The Issue: The idea for ImproveHealthCare.org arose during a conversation between Sachin Jain and a fellow Harvard Medical School student, about why medical students seemed to know so little about the health care system in which they will one day practice. With support from The Commonwealth Fund, Jain and a group of students and faculty advisers set out to create a resource to inform medical students about the major challenges in health care today and generate interest in working toward solutions.
The Intervention: The Web site is organized around three main sections, on health care quality, access to care, and health disparities. Case studies—on topics such as mistakes in ambulatory care and resident work hours—walk users through particular examples, pose questions, and invite responses. The case studies can be accessed individually or used to facilitate group or classroom discussions. The site also includes digitized lectures on health policy topics, links to relevant literature, videos, a glossary of terms, and other resources. Discussion boards and other tools encourage interaction among users.
For Further Information: View a short video introduction to the site, visit the site, or send an e-mail to [email protected].