Deb, Arkaprava

Medicine
India
ACGME training goals of Systems Based Practice and Practice Based Learning and Improvement will be the major goals of this rotation. The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) includes a Center for Mental Health, working on several initiatives in India and other developing nations to study and implement mental health care in resource poor areas. One specific project, PRIME (Program for Improving Mental Health Care), is in the 4th year of its 6 year grant. Goals are to study the feasibility, implementation, and impact of providing mental healthcare alongside primary care and maternal care. PRIME manages work and research in India and Africa. It is difficult to predict which aspects of the project will take priority in March 2015, when I arrive. The PRIME program is tasked with making sure providers deliver the WHO designated essential mental health services alongside primary care. During my away rotation, I will definitely be working on project management, implementation of mental health, evaluation of scaling up mental health, and outcomes analysis. I could also be working with providers directly on their feedback to the PHFI Center for Mental Health. I would be in a good position to discuss the efficacy of these essential treatment approaches compared to our practice guidelines in the US. My experience with evidence based psychiatry will also allow me to understand the larger projected impact of any intervention. I also hope my experience with statistics and health services research will make me valuable to PHFI's analysis work right away.