Background
Scholarly activity during residency is vital to resident learning and ultimately to patient care. Incorporating that activity into training is, however, a challenge for medical educators. Most research on medical student and resident attitudes toward scholarly activity to date has been quantitative and has focused on level of interest, desire to perform scholarship, and perceived importance of scholarship.
Objective
We explored attitudes, expectations, and barriers regarding participation in scholarly activity among current residents and graduates of a single family medicine residency program.
Methods
Using a phenomenologic approach, we systematically analyzed data from one-on-one, semistructured interviews with residents and graduates. Interviews included participant expectations and experiences with scholarly activity in residency.
Results
The 20 participants (residents, 15 [75%]; residency graduates, 5 [25%]) identified uncertainty in their attitudes toward, and expectations regarding, participation in scholarly activity as an overarching theme, which may present a barrier to participation. Themes included uncertainty regarding their personal identity as a clinician, time to complete scholarly activity, how to establish a mentor-mentee relationship, the social norms of scholarship, what counted toward the scholarship requirements, the protocol for completing projects, and the clinical relevance of scholarship.
Conclusions
Uncertainty about scholarly activity expectations can add to learner anxiety and make performing scholarly activity during residency seem like an insurmountable task. Programs should consider implementing a variety of strategies to foster scholarly activity during residency, including clarifying and codifying expectations and facilitating mentoring relationships with faculty.
Syncope and presyncope are relatively common presentations among athletes. The distinction between post-exercise and during-exercise syncope is critically important. While the great majority of these episodes occur just after exercise and are benign, syncope can be an indication of serious underlying cardiovascular disease if it occurs during exercise. Syncope presents a challenging differential diagnosis, as well as a daunting array of diagnostic tests and advanced imaging strategies. Sequencing a proper evaluation, and deciding who requires consultation and restriction, can be difficult for the medical provider. We present a systematic approach that assists the sports physician in arriving at a diagnosis and organizing an initial management strategy.
Background
Clinician counseling about medication can improve patient understanding and adherence. This study developed a teaching session for physician learners about medication prescribing and communication, with evaluation at the physician and patient levels.
Objective
We analyzed whether patients would perceive and report more comprehensive clinician presentation of medication information when receiving prescriptions from their physician in the intervention clinic.
Methods
We conducted a single site, prospective intervention study that included lectures, role play, an objective standardized clinical examination (OSCE), and reminders displayed in patient care areas. For physician-level assessment, pretests and posttests included a written case presentation and a OSCE. For patient-level assessment, we used a cross-sectional observational design that included study of patient recall information, and assessment of patient satisfaction before and after intervention.
Results
Twenty-seven family medicine residents and sports medicine fellows participated in the teaching session, focused on presenting patients the reasons, risks, and regimen of prescribed medication. In written testing, learners presented significantly more comprehensive information in posttests. In the OSCE (n = 14), all learners presented risks and regimen information. However, patient-level assessment showed no significant difference between before and after intervention. Notably, the covariates patient activation and satisfaction with communication both had a significant association with patient recall information.
Conclusions
Our intervention improved learner presentation of medication information. However, patient recall of the information conveyed did not change. Although physician training did not have a positive effect on patient recall, patient activation emerged as a critical influence of patients' perceptions of medication discussions.
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