Project DOCC (Delivery of Chronic Care)

Project DOCC is a national curriculum, designed by parents of children who have chronic illness or disability, using parents as the teachers. The goal is to enhance the education of medical residents by offering a perspective that faculty usually do not have and promoting provider/patient partnerships so that the residents will be better equipped to provide care to children with chronic illness and empower their families. In Project DOCC, parent coordinators and parent teachers are recruited from the community and implement the curriculum of Project DOCC.  The teaching curriculum includes:

1. a structured home visit where students visit the home of a child with a chronic illness or disability, speak with parents, and observe activities of daily living (two parents are involved; the parent living in the home and, in order to broaden the discussion, a second unrelated parent), and
2. a parent interview where students interview a parent about their family's experiences using the Chronic Illness History Questionnaire

Specific topics or issues addressed by Project DOCC include:

• the informing process and sharing of information
• patient and parent education
• chronicity, family adjustments to chronic illness and coping strategies
• coordination of care and the concept of the medical home
• partnering between health service providers and parents
• needs of children with chronic illnesses and their families
• family support services
• tips for communicating with parents
• resources for families (financial, peer support)