ProblemGraduate medical education programs and national organizations are becoming more involved in promoting trainee financial wellness. Current literature reports residents have poor financial knowledge, high debt levels, low concern about their finances, and deficits in financial preparedness, but there has been little published on best practices for implementing financial wellness programs for residents or measuring meaningful outcomes of such programs.

Background Residents graduate from medical school with increasing levels of debt and also may possess poor financial knowledge and practices. Prior studies have assessed resident financial knowledge and interest in financial education, yet additional information regarding their attitudes about personal finance and financial planning could be essential for the development of relevant curricula.Objective We assessed baseline financial attitudes and planning behaviors of internal medicine and internal medicine-pediatrics residents in 3 geographically diverse academic programs.Methods A modified version of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority National Financial Capability survey was administered anonymously to residents in 3 programs in spring 2017. Outcomes included levels of educational debt, positive financial planning behaviors, perception of finances and debt, and education about personal finance.Results Response rate was 62% (184 of 298). Rates of educational debt were high, with 81% (149 of 184) of respondents reporting educational debt, and the majority owing more than $100,000. Residents' financial practices were variable, and residents could be grouped into 1 of 3 categories-concerned-engaged, concerned-unengaged, and unconcerned-unengaged-based on their engagement with debt and financial management. Residents with high debt (. $250,000) had a bimodal distribution of respondents who strongly agreed and those who strongly disagreed they were concerned about debt.Conclusions Resident financial attitudes and practices are variable, ranging from highly engaged residents actively managing their financial wellness to unengaged residents who have low concern, despite high educational debt.

Background Despite increasing use of telehealth, there are limited published curricula training primary care providers in utilizing telehealth to deliver complex interdisciplinary care. Objective To describe and evaluate a telehealth curriculum with a longitudinal objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to improve internal medicine residents' confidence and skills in coordinating complex interdisciplinary primary care via televisits, electronic consultation, and teleconferencing. Methods In 2019, 56 first- and third-year residents participated in a 3-part, 5-week OSCE training them to use telehealth to manage complex primary care. Learners conducted a standardized patient (SP) televisit in session 1, coordinated care via inter-visit e-messaging, and led a simulated interdisciplinary teleconference in session 2. Surveys measured confidence before session 1 (pre), post-session 1 (post-1), and post-session 2 (post-2). SP televisit checklists and investigators' assessment of e-messages evaluated residents' telehealth skills. Results Response rates were pre 100%, post-1 95% (53 of 56), and post-2 100%. Post-intervention, more residents were “confident/very confident” in adjusting their camera (33%, 95% CI 20–45 vs 85%, 95% CI 75–95, P < .0001), e-messaging (pre 36%, 95% CI 24–49 vs post-2 80%, 95% CI 70–91, P < .0001), and coordinating interdisciplinary care (pre 35%, 95% CI 22–47 vs post-2 84%, 95% CI 74–94, P < .0001). More residents were “likely/very likely” to use telemedicine in the future (pre 56%, 95% CI 43–69, vs post-2 79%, 95% CI 68–89, P = .001). Conclusions A longitudinal, interdisciplinary telehealth simulation is feasible and can improve residents' confidence in using telemedicine to provide complex patient care.

Although some investigations have assessed the barriers to prostate cancer screening among African-American men, limited data are available regarding such practices in similar African-origin populations. Key informant interviews were employed to obtain a range of perspectives pertaining to the healthcare practices of African-Barbadian men and to identify factors that obstruct prostate cancer screening in Barbados, West Indies. Gender-related perceptions were identified as a major obstruction to prostate cancer screening. Additionally, concerns about privacy, taking time away from work and mistrust of the medical community were reported as themes impeding the healthcare-seeking behaviors of African-Barbadian men. System-level barriers included limitations in access to care and ineffective dissemination of health information. Findings from this study suggest that targeted efforts aimed at modifying socio-cultural perceptions may assist in improving prostate cancer screening and general healthcare-seeking practices of African-Barbadian men and others who share similar beliefs.