Several IMP 1 conference calls ago, I think we had talked briefly about
Tyler, the high school student who was volunteering in my office over the
summer. He did some problem solving/confidence building work with random
patients who seemed appropriate and showed up during the times that both he
and I were available, and he wrote a synopsis of his experience, which I
pasted below:

(Tyler's summary)
"When I first asked to volunteer for Dr. Ho, I was expecting to perform
simple tasks like filing, shredding, database entries, etc. I was,
therefore, very surprised when she asked if I would be interested in
becoming a problem solving advocate. At first I was rather skeptical, due to
the fact that I thought that the interviews would take place over the phone
and because I have had no prior experience in this type of work. After
deciding that the problem solving sessions would be more effective
face-to-face, Dr. Ho and I arranged for several patients to participate in
this process.
The survey itself was very well organized and it helped each patient
breakdown a large problem into small parts with steps leading toward a
solution. I was very surprised with the patients' openness toward the
process and towards the action plan drawn up at the end of each survey. It
seemed that each patient was generating many good ideas and that I was there
to support or supplement their decisions. I felt very satisfied after each
survey was completed and I think that the patients will stick with the path
they choose to help solve the problems they are currently facing and those
that will arise in the future.
For me, conducting each survey and listening to people's problems was a
rewarding experience. I feel that if I had the opportunity to share the
survey with many other patients, I would do so in a heartbeat. I felt
nervous at first, but I soon realized that being a good listener and a
helpful supporter, was all that was needed to help these patients improve
their problem solving skills and aid them in solving their major problems."

We are still planning a follow up call to the patients he interviewed. (We
missed a date due to scheduling glitches.)

future IMPlications-
1) Even I would be able to use these tools in the office, to do my own
patient confidence/problem solving skills intervention, as Nancy is already
doing;
2) Post IMP cohort 1 grant, could I persuade some of my retired nurse
friends to take over this niche on a volunteer basis?
3) Problem solving skills training seems well accepted by patients and
appears to teach the use of a simple tool that provides an approach to help
patients change bothersome health issues. The script makes the tool
relatively easy to teach, even by unexperienced (but enthusiastic) workers.
The web based problem solving tool from HYH is also straightforward and
seems to pack the same punch, minus the personal touch.

Lynn