List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Apr-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Effective health care does not occur only within the confines of a hospital or clinic. It also involves the continuation of treatment and interventions in a patient’s home. This article explores the provision of care by non-professional caregivers — often the patient’s parent, spouse, or child. How can professional health care providers best work with these non-professionals to ensure a high level of care for patients who — although no longer receiving treatment at a health care facility — nevertheless need additional care to continue to progress? The article also highlighted activities of physical therapists (PTs) who help patients maneuver through the often-complex maze of overlapping and conflicting state, federal, and private health care regulations and policies.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Documents, studies, policy statements, and other materials were reviewed.
Explain types of human sources used.
The bulk of the article relied on interviews with physical therapists with experience in working with non-professional caregivers for a variety of patients, ranging from pediatric to geriatric.
Results:
The article generated positive feedback–in letters, e-mails, and telephone calls–from physical therapists from a wide range of disciplines.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications were necessary.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Identify a range of health care providers who work with specific groups of patients. The advice we received, for example, often was most relevant to a specific patient population — for instance, pediatric, geriatric, or oncology. What is applicable to one patient population (or to the families of that patient population) may well not be applicable to another patient population. Make sure that you interview a broad range of health care providers. A similar story could be modified to focus on one particular population of patients or the needs within one geographic community. Health literacy is a related topic with much potential.