Utilizing a collaborative care model, the patient becomes a valued member of the care team more than just a vessel for billing codes.

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"When families give up on the patient's recovery, I think the health care team may do the same, " Schwamm said.

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But they are still candidates for team-based, patient-centered, integrated care that provides comfort, reduces pain, and provides for their social and spiritual needs.

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There are also a whole series of medical strategies in the bill that provide for wrap-around care once a patient leaves a hospital, so a home health team, where somebody may need some follow-up.

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It also wants measures to reduce the pressure on GPs, such as smaller patient lists and a greater emphasis on delegating clinical and administrative work to other members of the primary health care team.

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The psychologist talked to patients about their treatment and their goals for care, and the team came up with a treatment plan that was e-mailed to the patient's doctor or posted in an alert in the patient's medical record.

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Mr Davies had been an in-patient at the mental health unit in West Wales General Hospital and also under the care of the local Community Mental Health Team since October 2002.

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