Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · Apr 2016
ReviewClinical guidelines for Western clinicians engaged in primary care medical service trips in Latin America and the Caribbean: an integrative literature review.
Participation in primary care-focused medical service trips (MSTs) by North American providers is increasingly common, with many of these being conducted in Latin America. The literature has yet to comprehensively explore the nature of MST practice, including the use of evidence-based clinical guidelines. This integrative review presents an analysis of guidelines employed in MSTs in Latin America. ⋯ Existing literature demonstrates minimal development or use of clinical guidelines on MSTs in Latin America. Future work must focus on the development, implementation, and evaluation of culturally sensitive, evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients receiving care from MSTs.