scholarly journals Deficits in urological knowledge and skills among family medicine residents in Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine J. Redmond ◽  
Sahar Saleem ◽  
Trustin Domes ◽  
Keith F. Rourke
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Digital Rectal Examination ◽  
Scrotal Pain ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Urological Procedures ◽  
Scrotal Swelling ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Introduction: The last 10–15 years has seen a decline in formal undergraduate urological education throughout Canada. Given the large volume of urological presentations in family practice, trainees need to acquire the requisite urological knowledge and skills to serve their patients. The objective of this study is to determine the perceived level of urological knowledge and skills among Canadian family medicine residents. Methods: A 15-item anonymous online survey was distributed via email to all Canadian family medicine program directors from September to December 2018 and distributed to their residents. The survey obtained data on demographics, training, undergraduate urology experience, self-reported proficiency in interpreting urological investigations, performing common urological procedures, and managing common urologic conditions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 142 family medicine residents with representation from Western Canada (27.5%), Ontario (32.4%), and Quebec (40.1%); 39.4% of respondents had completed a urology rotation during medical school and only 29.1% felt that their medical training prepared them for the urological aspects of family medicine. Although the majority of respondents felt proficient in performing a digital rectal examination (58.5%) or managing urinary tract infections (97.9%), only a minority felt competent in performing male genitourinary examination (40.1%), uncomplicated male (34.5%), female (45.8%) or difficult (9.2%) urethral catheterization. Likewise, the minority of respondents felt comfortable managing erectile dysfunction (41.5%), scrotal swelling (34.7%), and scrotal pain (25.7%). Conclusions: There are significant deficiencies in urological knowledge and skills among family medicine residents in Canada, possibly as a consequence of insufficient educational experiences during medical training.

A Place for Plant-Based Nutrition in US Medical School Curriculum: A Survey-Based Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762098867
Author(s):  
Kara F. Morton ◽  
Diana C. Pantalos ◽  
Craig Ziegler ◽  
Pradip D. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Lifestyle Modification ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Medical School Curriculum ◽  
Curricular Reform ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Purpose. To evaluate medical students’ and family medicine residents’ perceptions of their current degree of nutrition training in general and regarding a whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet. Methods. An original survey instrument was administered to medical students and family medicine residents. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to evaluate perceptions of nutrition education in medical training, a WFPB diet, and ideas for nutrition-focused curricular reform. Results. Of the 668 trainees surveyed, 200 responded (response rate = 30%). Of these, 22% agreed that they received sufficient nutrition education in medical school and 41% agreed that a WFPB diet should be a focus. Respondents with personal experiences with a plant-based diet were more willing to recommend it to future patients. Common ideas for curricular reform were instruction on a WFPB diet along with other healthy dietary patterns, patient counseling, a dedicated nutrition course, and electives. Conclusions. Nutrition education in US medical training needs improvement to address the growing burden of obesity-related chronic disease. Proper nutrition and lifestyle modification should therefore play a larger role in the education of future physicians. A focus on plant-predominant diets, such as the WFPB diet, may be an acceptable and effective addition to current medical school curriculum, and deserves further study.

scholarly journals The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and residency training of family medicine residents: findings from a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hüsna Çevik ◽  
Mehmet Ungan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on resident training in different branches and affected the physical and mental health of frontline residents adversely. This nationwide cross-sectional survey aimed to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on family medicine residents in Turkey, including the levels of depression and burnout. Methods An anonymous online survey was distributed to all family medicine residents via e-mail and a web link between 28.11.2020 and 12.12.2020. Information on sociodemographic data and the residency programme were evaluated, and factors associated with depression and burnout were examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Burnout Measure-Short Version (BMS) respectively. Results Although the weekly average working hours of the 477 respondents increased significantly during the pandemic (p < 0.05), the average weekly working time in the Family Medicine (FM) outpatient clinic decreased. The greatest concern of 58.3% of the residents was fear of transmitting COVID-19 to their family members. 90.2% of the residents stated that training programmes were negatively or very negatively affected. According to PHQ-9 scores, 15.7% of residents had moderately severe, and 14.9% severe depression. The BMS scores of the residents demonstrated that 24.1% had a very severe burnout problem, and 23.3% should seek professional help as soon as possible. Being single, having no children, female gender, lack of personal protective equipments and increased contact time with COVID-19 patients were associated with higher scores in the depression and burnout scales (p < 0.05). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on training programmes for FM residents, who are at the forefront of the pandemic in Turkey, and this situation is closely related to depression and burnout. Due to the unpredictability of the pandemic, long-term plans should be made for the training needs of residents in order to protect their physical and mental health.

scholarly journals Teaching Urology to Undergraduates: A Prospective Survey of What General Practitioners Need to Know

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11687
Author(s):  
Ángel Borque-Fernando ◽  
Cristina Redondo-Redondo ◽  
Concepción Orna-Montesinos ◽  
Luis Mariano Esteban ◽  
Sophia Denizón-Arranz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Digital Rectal Examination ◽  
Scrotal Pain ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Abdominal Examination ◽  
Very High

Background: Higher education training in Medicine has considerably evolved in recent years. One of its main goals has been to ensure the training of students as future adequately qualified general practitioners (GPs). Tools need to be developed to evaluate and improve the teaching of Urology at the undergraduate level. Our objective is to identify the knowledge and skills needed in Urology for the real clinical practice of GPs. Methods: An anonymous self-administered survey was carried out among GPs of Primary Care and Emergencies which sought to evaluate urological knowledge and necessary urological skills. The results of the survey were exported and descriptive statistics were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 19.0. Results and limitations: A total of 127 answers were obtained, in which ‘Urological infections’, ‘Renal colic’, ‘PSA levels and screening for prostate cancer’, ‘Benign prostatic hyperplasia’, ‘Hematuria’, ‘Scrotal pain’, ‘Prostate cancer diagnosis’, ‘Bladder cancer diagnosis’, ‘Urinary incontinence’, and ‘Erectile dysfunction’ were rated as Very high or High formative requirements (>75%). Regarding urological skills, ‘Abdominal examination’, ‘Interpretation of urinalysis’, ‘Digital rectal examination’, ‘Genital examination’, and ‘Transurethral catheterization’ were assessed as needing Very high or High training in more than 80% of the surveys. The relevance of urological pathology in clinical practice was viewed as Very high or High in more than 80% of the responses. Conclusions: This study has shown helpful results to establish a differentiated prioritization of urological knowledge and skills in Primary Care and Emergencies. Efforts should be aimed at optimizing the teaching in Urology within the Degree of Medicine which consistently ensures patients’ proper care by future GPs.

scholarly journals Ambiguity Tolerance and Prospective Specialty Choice Among Third-Year Medical Students

PRiMER ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Babenko ◽  
Delane Linkiewich ◽  
Kalee Lodewyk ◽  
Ann Lee
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Specialty Choice ◽  
Ambiguity Tolerance ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Tolerance Of Ambiguity ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Poor tolerance of ambiguity is consequential in clinical practice, and has been linked to avoidance of family medicine, in which there is inherently more ambiguity. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tolerance of ambiguity and prospective specialty choice of medical students in their third year of medical school. This stage of medical training is of particular importance as students develop clinical reasoning skills and encounter clinical ambiguity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an online survey. Sixty-one third-year medical students (62% response rate) from a large Canadian university completed the survey with a validated measure of ambiguity tolerance (the 29-item Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors scale) and their top three specialty choices. Specialty choices were subsequently grouped into two categories: family medicine (FM) and non-family medicine (non-FM) specialties. Results: There was no significant mean difference in tolerance of ambiguity between students who reported interest in FM and students interested in non-FM specialties. Similarly, we observed no significant difference in tolerance of ambiguity between female and male students. Older students reported higher levels of ambiguity tolerance. Older students were also more likely to report FM as one of their top three specialty choices. Conclusion: Qualitative studies are needed to explore possible reasons for the observed results, including the effects of digital information resources and clinical decision-making tools on medical students’ ambiguity tolerance. Medical educators should be aware that some students may require explicit training in how to respond to ambiguity.

scholarly journals How do Ontario family medicine residents perform on global health competencies? A multi-institutional survey

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. e10-e17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirella Veras ◽  
Kevin Pottie ◽  
Tim Ramsay ◽  
Vivian Welch ◽  
Peter Tugwell
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
First Year ◽  
Perceived Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Global Health Education ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Background: There is an increased interest in global health among medical students, family medicine residents, and medical educators. This paper is based on research to assess confidence in knowledge and skills in global health in family medicine residents in five universities across Ontario. Methods: A web based survey was sent to 166 first-year family medicine residents from five universities within Ontario. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze residents’ confidence in their knowledge and skills in global health. The strength of association between each of the self-perceived knowledge and skills variables was assessed by the Spearman correlation coefficient.  Results: The response rate ranged from 29% to 66% across the five universities. Self-perceived knowledge scores revealed that 34.3% of the respondents were very confident, 51.9% were somewhat confident, and 13.8% were not at all confident about their global health knowledge. Participants' confidence scores were lower in relation to knowledge of access to health care for low income nations (44.3%), and were better on their global health skills related to working in a team (70.9%) and listening actively to patients' concerns (64.6%). Conclusions: The global health competency scale has identified key areas of strengths and weaknesses of family medicine programs in global health education. This can be used to evaluate and analyze progress over time.

Status quo of Nursing Informatics Competencies for Nurses Under Standardized Training -A Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kejimu Sunzi ◽  
Cheng Lei ◽  
Zhuoyuanyuan Chen ◽  
Baolu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Nursing Informatics ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Skills

BACKGROUND The rapid development of health information technology has an increasingly significant impact on nursing work. The development of informatization also puts forward higher requirements for nurses under standardized training (NUST). Informatics knowledge and skills are essential if clinicians are to master the large volume of information generated in healthcare today. Nurses with competent nursing informatics competencies (NIC) will be able to better adapt to the needs of work and the development of the times. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore, analyze, and discuss the current situation of NIC of NUST in China, and analyze the influencing factors, to provide references for improving the NIC of NUST. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of standard training nurses' NIC in a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province, China, with convenience sampling. The study consists of two parts included socio-demographic characteristics and NIC, a self-designed general information questionnaire, and a Self-Assessment Nursing Informatics Competency Scale-SF28 were used as survey tools. An online survey collected the data, and the scores of nurses' NIC were analyzed, and the factors were determined by linear regression statistical analysis. RESULTS Overall 191 target population responded to the questionnaire, including 22 males (11.52%) and 169 females (88.48%), the age range was 21 to 28 years, the average age was 24.64 (SD 1.43). 53 persons without computer level certificate (27.75%), 138 persons with computer level certificate (72.25%), the total score of Self-Assessment Nursing Informatics Competency Scale was 68.65 (SD 10.47), the scores of each dimension were role of clinical information 10.12 (SD 2.17), basic computer knowledge and skills 26.64 (SD 4.96), application ability of computer skills 7.16 (SD 1.82), wireless equipment skills 8.02 (SD 2.04), nursing information attitude 16.73 (SD 3.25). In the analysis of influencing factors of NIC, “whether learned professional knowledge through the internet” is the influencing factor of NIC (P< .05). CONCLUSIONS The clinical nursing informatics (NC) of nurses was at a medium level, mainly influenced by “whether learned professional knowledge through the internet.” In the future regulation process, it is necessary to strengthen further the capacity training of information to improve their clinical information decision-making ability and better serve patients.

scholarly journals Perceived knowledge of psychiatry and family medicine residents regarding medical management of schizophrenia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia: opportunities to refine the residency training

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangbo Ying ◽  
Jinhui Wan ◽  
Kang Sim ◽  
Ee-Jin Darren Seah ◽  
Mythily Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Residency Training ◽  
Medical Management ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Psychiatry Residents ◽  
Training Curriculum ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Abstract Background Psychiatry and Family Medicine residents frequently see patients with comorbid mental and physical disorders. Little is known about the difference in knowledge of Psychiatry residents and Family Medicine residents regarding management of common conditions they encounter. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of Psychiatry and Family Medicine residents regarding medical management of schizophrenia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, as the findings could help to refine the training curriculum for residency training. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used. Psychiatry and Family Medicine residents pursuing their residency in Singapore were recruited from November 2019 to June 2020. The survey questionnaire consisted of questions which assessed the knowledge regarding medical management of schizophrenia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic data; T-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests to compare the differences between groups; and multiple regression analyses to assess the factors associated with Psychiatry residents’ knowledge of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Results Fifty-seven out of 70 (81.4%) Psychiatry residents and 58 out of 61 (95.1%) Family Medicine residents participated in the study. The majority of Psychiatry residents encountered patients with hypertension (93.0%), diabetes mellitus (87.7%) and dyslipidemia (91.2%) on a daily to weekly basis. Psychiatry residents had higher scores on questions about schizophrenia versus Family Medicine residents (mean 50.70 versus 43.28, p < 0.001). However, Psychiatry residents scored lower on questions about hypertension (mean 33.86 versus 40.98, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (mean 45.68 versus 49.79, p = 0.005) and dyslipidemia (mean 37.04 versus 44.31, p < 0.001). Receiving undergraduate medical education locally, compared to receiving it overseas, was associated with better knowledge of hypertension (beta = 0.515, p = 0.009) and dyslipidemia (beta = 0.559, p = 0.005); while younger age (26–30 versus > 35 and 31–35 versus > 35) was associated with better knowledge of hypertension (beta = 1.361, p = 0.002 and beta = 1.225, p = 0.003). A significant proportion of Psychiatry residents (61.4%) did not agree that the training provided to manage hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia was adequate. Similarly, majority of Family Medicine residents (62.1%) did not agree that they had adequate training to manage schizophrenia. Conclusions This study raises the awareness of Psychiatry residents’ sense of discomfort in managing hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or dyslipidemia and conversely Family Medicine residents in management of schizophrenia, which can be further addressed during the training postings within the residency programs. Future studies are needed to look at local (such as training curriculum) and systemic factors (such as practice trends and culture) in order to better align residency selection criteria and training foci with real world practice factors over time.

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