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Posted 11-22-99
Case Western Reserve University faculty member Kurt C. Stange, a family physician, has been elected to membership in the prestigious Institute of Medicine. He is among 55 new members, bringing the institute's number of active members to 588.
Stange is professor of family medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics, oncology, and sociology at CWRU's School of Medicine. He sees patients, teaches and performs research as a member of the University Hospitals of Cleveland's Department of Family Medicine, and serves as associate director for prevention, control, and population research at the Ireland Cancer Center at UHC and CWRU.
Established in 1970 as a unit of the National Academy of Sciences, the institute conducts studies to advance health and health care, and makes recommendations about public policy and medical practice. Election to the Institute of Medicine is one of the most distinguished achievements accorded to those in fields related to medicine and health.
Stange collaborates with other scholars and local family practices in the Research Association of Practicing Physicians, a practice-based research network in Northeast Ohio. His research seeks to develop new knowledge about the effectiveness of important aspects of the family physician's comprehensive, relationship-centered approach to improving the health of patients, families and communities. This knowledge has important implications for improving medical care and designing effective health systems.
For example, research by Stange and his colleagues has discovered declines in the quality of primary medical care from disruption in continuity of care caused by insurance changes. Their studies of the care provided by Northeast Ohio family physicians also found that care is provided to a family member other than the identified patient in 18 percent of office visits.
Other research showed how family physicians provide services to prevent cancer and other serious illnesses during one-third of patient visits for care of illnesses. Additional studies discovered how family physicians prioritize a broad range of possible health care services to the meet the unique needs of individual patients and families. Taken together, this body of research shows the added value of a generalist approach to patient care that is complementary to more narrowly focused medical care.
"We are proud that Kurt Stange has received this recognition for his work," said Nathan Berger, dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs. "He is dynamic in the area of preventive medicine research and a real tribute to the critical investigative orientation in our Department of Family Medicine. His research will clearly lead to improved health status for our patients for generations to come."
Eight other CWRU faculty members have been elected to the Institute of Medicine:
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