OVERVIEW

Specialties in Remote Settings is organized by Remote Care Education.

Learn how to be a specialist during medical missions
Medical mission doctors wear many hats. Most mission work is primary care, but one big difference in resource-limited settings is rarely having the luxury of a specialist to whom you can refer patients--YOU may have to address specialty conditions as best you can. To expand your specialty skill set, this course includes considerations for Infectious Disease, GI, Dermatology, Cardiology, Neurology, Respiratory, Orthopedics, Endocrinology, Genitourinary, breast, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care in Resource-Limited Settings, Allergies, and Mental Health--all from a mission-based perspective.

Lesson Plan:
Mental Health in Resource-Limited Settings | 65 minutes
A summary of mental health in mission settings. Burdens of mental illness in the developing world are highlighted, as well as common barriers to effective care. Specific mental health conditions common to mission settings are reviewed, as well as conditions that require different approaches in resource-limited settings. Participants should gain increased confidence and competence in approaching mental health issues in tropical and developing settings.

Infectious Disease in Underserved Regions | 26 minutes
An overview of common infectious disease fundamentals in resource-limited settings and a review of conditions that may be rare in developed nations but commonly encountered in medical aid settings, with an emphasis on clinical diagnoses. Participants should gain confidence in approaching the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of specific infectious disease issues.

Gastrointestinal Issues in Developing World Settings | 39 minutes
A review of gastrointestinal issues in mission settings, ‘from stem to stern.’ Infectious and non-infectious issues are covered, with special emphasis on unique tropical and developing region-specific conditions. Management in resource-limited settings and empiric treatment strategies are included, as well as symptom-based and clinical exam-based diagnoses. Participants should gain confidence and competence in recognizing and managing gastrointestinal presentations in remote or resource-limited settings.

Tropical Dermatology | 64 minutes
An introduction to medical aid dermatology for non-dermatologists. Included are dermatology packing tips for remote deployments, a review of infectious and non-infectious with an emphasis on tropical presentations such as leishmaniosis or Buruli ulcers, and a review of the regionality of dermatology presentations in developing regions. Dermatology as a diagnostic tool for systemic disease and a review of clinical diagnostic algorithms and empiric treatments are also discussed. Participants should gain confidence and competence in approaching dermatology issues in resource-limited settings and improve their overall mission performance, utilizing increased dermatology skills to augment the management of non-dermatologic conditions.

Cardiology in Mission Settings | 53 minutes
This introduction to medical mission cardiology includes a summary of the specific burdens of cardiology disease in developing regions and barriers to effective care. Diagnosis and management of common conditions including tropical cardiology presentations such as Chagas, with an emphasis on diagnosis and management where advanced laboratory and imaging facilities may not be available. Participants should gain confidence and competence in recognizing and managing cardiology presentations in remote or resource-limited settings.

Neurology | 70 minutes
A summary of neurologic health in mission settings, with an emphasis on tropical & developing world causes of neurologic pathologies and a review of some common mission neurology presentations such as stroke, epilepsy, neurologic pain, infectious neurology conditions, and movement disorders, with an emphasis on management in resource-limited settings. Participants should gain increased confidence and competence in approaching neurologic health issues in tropical and developing settings.

Respiratory Medicine in Mission Settings | 73 minutes
A review of respiratory medicine in mission settings, including infectious and non-infectious conditions. Tuberculosis and approach to chronic conditions such as asthma receive special attention, as well as tropical conditions such as tropical pulmonary eosinophilia. Participants should gain confidence and competence in recognizing and managing respiratory presentations in remote or resource-limited settings.

Orthopedics & Other Musculoskeletal Issues | 55 minutes
Common musculoskeletal conditions in mission settings are reviewed, including tropical conditions such as mycetoma and polio. Special discussion is made about improved performance on orthopedic specialty missions, as well as non-pharmaceutical approaches to chronic musculoskeletal issues and primary prevention. Participants should gain confidence and competence in managing musculoskeletal issues presentations in remote or resource-limited settings.

Allergies | 25 minutes
A discussion of fundamentals of allergy treatment and a review of common causes of allergic conditions encountered in tropical and remote mission work. Food, cutaneous, respiratory, and systemic allergies are discussed and effective management in resource-limited settings is emphasized. Including a review of anaphylaxis management. Participants should gain confidence and competence in managing allergy-related issues presenting in remote or developing regions.

Endocrinology in Underserved Settings | 41 minutes
The emergent chronic endocrine diseases such as diabetes, and acute endocrine conditions encountered in remote settings are reviewed. Added risk factors and barriers to effective primary prevention and treatment in marginalized populations are discussed, as well as strategies for overcoming these barriers and the management of endocrine conditions in developing regions. Cultural context relating to thyroid and other endocrine diseases, as well as primary prevention strategies, are included. Participants should gain an increased understanding of the contextual nature of endocrinology in developing regions and more effective management in medical aid settings.

Genitourinary & Breast Health | 49 minutes
Review of men’s and women’s genitourinary health issues including lithiasis, masses, infections, functional disorders, and special tropical manifestations of genitourinary disease such as quartan malaria, filariasis, and envenomation. Breast health is included, with an emphasis on primary prevention and diagnosis in remote settings. Participants should gain confidence and competence in recognizing and managing genitourinary and breast health issues in remote or resource-limited settings.

Geriatrics and End of Life Care | 56 minutes
The burden of geriatric conditions in developing regions is reviewed, and a resource-limited approach to geriatric and end-of-life care is discussed. Non-pharmaceutical strategies, especially for palliative care, are emphasized. Handling of patient deaths in different cultural contexts is included. Participants should gain greater awareness of the scope of approaches to geriatric and end-of-life issues in mission settings.