Practice-based agromedicine: the need for client-centered research.
During recent years, several client calls received from Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service office and private physicians have required client-oriented investigations. These have practical implications for preventive medicine and public service. The challenges for differential diagnosis across disciplines are not for the faint-of-heart or the narrow thinking specialist. Examples of incidents that have signaled a problem and resulting research projects are: 1) anaphylactic cardiovascular response to red imported fire ant venom (statewide morbidity survey); (2) unexplained contact dermatitis in tomato harvesters and floral designers (immunodermatologic study and statewide survey of florists); (3) concerns over two unexplained cancer deaths at an experimental agricultural research station (farmer's mortality study); (4) a household outbreak of organophosphate poisoning (statewide hospital morbidity survey); and (5) a woman in early pregnancy exposed to misapplication of chlordane in her house (literature review and update on trends in U.S. birth defects). These examples reflect a broad but responsive interdisciplinary approach to the needs of the clients of the South Carolina Agromedicine Program.
Schuman
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Clemson University and Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013022:South Carolina