Challenges and Lessons Learned From Short-Term Medical Service Trips in Global Communities

Abstract The purpose of the article is to examine challenges and lessons learned from short-term medical service trips. Challenges and lessons learned in 3 countries included limited resources, language barriers, translation difficulties, and ethnic and cultural differences within communities. Local providers verbally expressed the meaningful changes to the care provided as they learned from the medical service team. After completion of the short-term medical trips, there were concerns related to the ongoing needs of the communities that the short-term medical trips were unable to address. Creating partnerships with local medical care networks for referrals for further testing and follow-up are needed.