Confidence Matters

7

The research is clear. People who have a high level of Health Confidence experience fewer adverse healthcare outcomes than people with a low level of Healthcare Confidence.

But what is Healthcare Confidence?

Health Confidence is a measurement of your ability to understand, manage and control most health problems with little to no anxiety or angst. Those with high confidence may still have many health concerns, but they generally feel they are getting good information, have good support, and know how to access the healthcare system when needed in a meaningful way.

Those with lower degrees of confidence tend to be “not so sure,” may have poor access to care, or may find that the quality of information they receive could be better.

It’s also important to understand what Health Confidence is not. Health confidence is not about gimmicks or quick fixes. It is an ‘inside-out’ approach with decades of proven results from thousands of people.

High Health Confidence Equals Better Health

Our practice is focused on person-centered, collaborative care. As such, we look at the root causes of our patients’ health concerns.  Our experience has shown a direct link between our patients’ health concerns and their health confidence. In short, those with high confidence feel better, manage their conditions better and save money on their care.

That’s is why we are very interested in hearing from you regarding these three measures:

  1. Do you feel you are getting the best care; exactly when and how needed?
  2. Do you feel you are getting the best information; understandable and useful?
  3. Do you feel you are very confident in your ability to manage and control most health problems?

Explore Your Health Confidence

Click the link below to access a secure, free tool to help you on the road to the best health confidence possible. We encourage you to explore this site in detail and take advantage of the variety tools presented. And then share your findings with us, letting us know how we can help you.

HealthConfidence.org

Additional Resources

For those interested in learning more about health confidence in clinical practice, check out these links and references.

Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH discusses the difference between patient-focused care, and person-focused care in this 2011 article.

John Wasson, MD, from Dartmouth Medical School, has been a leader in helping small practices improve quality. Read two short publications in which our practice was involved.

Improvement of Health Confidence J Amb. Care Management vol 36, No 3, 235-240

The Right Tool for the Right Job J Amb. Care Management vol 36, No 3, 241-244

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Your Medical Home

21 Hampton Road, Building 2, Suite 201 Exeter, NH. 03833

Phone: 603.418.6310
Fax: 603.418.6311

Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm

Jim, born and raised on Cape Cod, attended the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine after graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Vermont.  He completed his Family Practice Residency in Baltimore, Maryland in 1990, serving as Chief Resident during his third year.  After enjoying private practice for 5 years, he was one of the first Physicians to form CORE Health Services, a large, multispecialty group, serving on their Board of Directors.   After 10 years as an employed Physician, he established YourMedicalHome as an independent, Primary Care Practice, with a vision of the Patient Centered Model of Care.  He maintains privileges at Exeter Hospital, and has served on Medical Staff Leadership of that institution.

Various experiences, including involvement with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Ideal Medical Practices Collaborative, the Dartmouth Cooperative Research Network as well as practicing in a number of different Primary Care Models has provided Jim with a unique perspective into what works, and what does not work, in the Primary Care Setting.  He has found the smaller practice model to be an ideal way to bring innovation in care delivery quickly to where it matters most, the patient.  This can be as simple as a phone system that allows all (including Physicians) to answer the phone, to patient direct online scheduling, to the encouragement of email communication, or to something as ‘old fashioned’ as regularly performing house calls.

Jim believes that excellent and timely communication, easy access and continuity of care are absolutely critical to the care we provide, and believes that all we do should augment these goals.  He enjoys speaking about any issue involving the practice of medicine and greatly enjoys the long term relationships with the patients of the practice, realizing that these insights can be very important in the provision of the care they need, and want.

You may see him jogging, biking or rowing around the Seacoast.  He is married to Casey (see below) and lives in Exeter with Casey and their four children, two girls followed by two boys.

Kareen is an Osteopathic Physician. Growing up in a family of ten children in suburban Boston, she knew that she wanted to be a “Family Doc” since the age of eight. Her background training includes an undergraduate degree in Biology from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont, and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the University of New England in Maine.  For over 20 years, she has been committed to helping patients achieve better health. Kareen believes that being healthy is a partnership between the patient and the physician, and is committed to helping guide her patients to a healthier life.  Kareen is passionately interested in preventative care, fitness, exercise and other lifestyle choices the patient can make to deal with stresses that contribute to so many illnesses.  She is quick to prescribe lifestyle changes and exercise, and is slower to suggest “fix-it pharmaceuticals” which often only treat symptoms, not their underlying causes.  She has been involved with the developing science of Resiliency Training through the University of Pennsylvania, helping teach these techniques to those in the military.

Kareen lives on the Seacoast of New Hampshire with her husband of over twenty years, Peter.  They are avid cruising sailors, and have cruised from Newfoundland and Labrador, through the coast of Maine, the Caribbean, in Ireland and England, and the South Pacific.  Kareen is committed to physical fitness, particularly enjoys being with her large extended family, reading, photography, travel, amateur woodworking and loves old quilts. Kareen sees patients in the office a couple of days per week, and makes house calls when necessary.  When not in the office, you’ll often find her somewhere on the water!

Casey, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, was born and raised near Washington DC.  She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Fitchburg State College, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  She earned her Masters in Nursing from the University of Maryland while working at Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Casey has more than 20 years of experience caring for children in the outpatient setting.  This experience, coupled with raising four children of her own, gives Casey ample perspective and empathy, with regards to the unique needs of our pediatric patients and their families.

Casey is married to the ‘other’ Bloomer in the practice and enjoys her large extended family, being the 9th of 10 children.  You might also see her running around town, literally. She values spending ample time with all families to address whatever issues might arise.

Susan, a Family Nurse Practitioner, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UMASS, Lowell in 1979. She enjoyed working in a variety of settings including the Greater Lawrence VNA, and during the early 1980s was thrilled to be involved in the planning and development of the hospice program for that organization. While working and raising her children, Sue went back to UMASS to obtain her Masters Degree in Nursing. She has had the pleasure of working for 16 years in Family Practice with Michael Lannon, MD, until his retirement in August 2010 at which time she joined YourMedicalHome. She has learned so much over the past 30 years of nursing practice, both from her coworkers and particularly from her patients. Sue believes that listening is crucial to helping people and looks forward to meeting with patients and their families, listening to their concerns and working with them to develop a plan of care to optimize their health. Sue lives on the Seacoast with Tom, her husband. They have three grown children and an overgrown Westie. She enjoys being outdoors, walking, hiking, XC-skiing and spending time with her family.

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