scholarly journals Community: The Heart of Family Medicine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santina Wheat
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Community Needs Assessment ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Community Changes ◽  
The Impact

Family physicians have the privilege of caring for patients throughout their lifespan and witness the impact all facets of life have on the health of individuals and the health of communities. The importance of engaging the community in the success of population-based initiatives to drive social change has been proven repeatedly and family medicine residencies should include community as the fifth “C.” At a minimum, this includes incorporating the following three recommendations: (1) define community on initial accreditation, at self-study, and whenever major community changes occur; (2) utilize a community needs assessment as part of goal setting of activities with Annual Action Plan; and (3) evaluate residents and faculty on understanding of and cooperation with community needs. We must highlight engagement with the community as a central aspect of family medicine so that all programs focus on this important aspect of our work.

scholarly journals The Impact of Practicing Obstetrics on Burnout Among Early-Career Family Physicians

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 408-413
Author(s):  
Tyler W. Barreto ◽  
Aimee Eden ◽  
Audrey Brock
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Complex Patients ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Administrative Tasks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Background and Objectives: According to a previous study, obstetric deliveries may be protective against burnout for family physicians. Analyses of interviews conducted during a larger qualitative study about the experiences of early-career family physicians who intended to include obstetric deliveries in their practice revealed that many interviewees discussed burnout. This study aimed to understand the relationship between practicing obstetrics and burnout based on an analysis of these emerging data on burnout. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with physicians who graduated from family medicine residency programs in the United States between 2013 and 2016. We applied an immersion-crystallization approach to analyze transcribed interviews. Results: Fifty-six early-career family physicians participated in interviews. Burnout was an emerging theme. Physicians described how practicing obstetrics can protect from burnout (eg, brings joy to practice, diversity in practice), how it can contribute to burnout (eg, time demands, increased stress), how it can do both simultaneously and the importance of professional agency (ie, the capacity to make own free choices), and other sources of burnout (eg, administrative tasks, complex patients). Conclusions: This study identifies a family medicine-obstetric paradox wherein obstetrics can simultaneously protect from and contribute to burnout for family physicians. Professional agency may partially explain this paradox.

scholarly journals A Pilot Study to Address Tolerance of Uncertainty Among Family Medicine Residents

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 531-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Taylor ◽  
Bethany Picker ◽  
Donald Woolever ◽  
Erin K. Thayer ◽  
Patricia A. Carney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Sustained Improvement ◽  
Tolerance Of Ambiguity ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Tolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Background and Objectives: Because patients often present to their family physicians with undifferentiated medical problems, uncertainty is common. Family medicine residents must manage both the ambiguity inherent in the field as well as the very real uncertainty of learning to become a skilled physician with little experience to serve as a guide. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the impact of a new curriculum on family medicine residents’ tolerance of ambiguity. Methods: We conducted an exploratory quasi-experimental study to assess the impact of a novel curriculum designed to improve family medicine residents’ tolerance of ambiguity. Four different surveys were administered to 25 family medicine residents at different stages in their training prior to and immediately and 6 months after the new curriculum. Results: Although many constructs remained unchanged with the intervention, one important construct, namely perceived threats of ambiguity, showed significant and sustained improvement relative to before undertaking this curriculum (score of 26.2 prior to the intervention, 22.1 immediately after, and 22.0 6 months after the intervention). Conclusions: A new curriculum designed to improve tolerance to ambiguity appears to reduce the perceived threats of ambiguity in this small exploratory study.

scholarly journals MIND THE GAP: FINDINGS FROM THE AGE-FRIENDLY OXFORD COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S250-S250
Author(s):  
Meghan A Young ◽  
Usha Dhakal ◽  
Valerie L Kessler ◽  
Suzanne R Kunkel
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Community Needs Assessment ◽  
Individual Domain

Abstract In November 2017, Oxford, OH joined the AARP network of Age-Friendly Communities (AFCs). The first step in building an action plan through the AARP process is conducting a community needs assessment. Scripps Gerontology Center adapted the AARP Community Survey Questionnaire and mailed surveys to a random sample of 700 Oxford residents aged 50 years and older. The response rate was 46.8%. For seven of the eight domains of livability, individuals were asked how important is it to have particular services in the community (Likert scale) and whether the community provides the services (response options: yes, no, not sure). The responses to these questions were used to calculate a perceived gap score. The purpose of this project was to identify which domains had the largest perceived gaps, then further analyze individual item gaps. The three domains with the largest gaps were transportation (50.6%), housing (47.7%), and health (46.2%). Further analysis of the 60 individual domain items provided information about the type of gap. For example, 84% of respondents found the item “affordable public transportation” important. However, of those who said it is important, 73% perceived a gap in service provision, and 64% of the gap was due to not knowing if Oxford provides it. Communities may interpret a “not sure” gap as an opportunity to restructure how they promote services to older individuals. Implications of this research include proposing different ways of analyzing needs assessment data so AFCs can make efficient and effective changes for older adults to age in place.

scholarly journals Associations Between Program-Level Abortion Training and Graduate Preparation for and Provision of Reproductive Care

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 750-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Weidner ◽  
Nancy Stevens ◽  
Grace Shih
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Family Medicine Residency ◽  
Abortion Care ◽  
The Impact

Background and Objectives: The role of training in the declining rate of family physicians’ provision of women’s reproductive health care is unclear. No requirements for abortion training exist, and curricula vary widely. This study assessed the impact of program-level abortion training availability on graduates’ feelings of training adequacy and their postgraduate practice in reproductive health. Methods: We conducted secondary analysis of graduate survey data from 18 family medicine residency programs in the Northwest categorized by whether or not their program routinely offered abortion training (opt out or elective rotation). We used bivariate analyses and logistic regression to compare groups on preparation for training and current clinical practice of women’s health procedures. Results: Six of 18 programs included in the study had routinely available abortion training for graduates (N=408). In bivariate analysis, these programs with routine abortion training had significantly more graduates who report feeling prepared to perform abortions (19% vs 10%; P=.01), but no difference in likelihood to provide abortion care postresidency compared to programs without routine abortion training. In adjusted analyses, graduates of programs with routine abortion training were significantly less likely to feel prepared for performing colposcopies (OR=0.45, 95% CI, 0.26-0.78; P<.01) and to actually perform them in practice (OR=0.32, 95% CI, 0.18-0.57; P<.001); all other differences are attenuated. Conclusions: Program-level abortion training alone is not enough to overcome the systems- and individual-level barriers to increasing the numbers of trained family medicine residency graduates who provide abortion care and other reproductive care in practice. More must be done to create opportunities for family physicians interested in providing full-spectrum care in their postgraduate practices to be able to do so.

Community Change Process

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Hollingsworth ◽  
Larry M. Gant ◽  
Patricia L. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Community Needs Assessment ◽  
Planning Phase

Abstract: This chapter summarizes and discusses the planning phase of the community change process that comprised the three Good Neighborhoods phases (planning, readiness, and transformation). The purpose of the planning phase was to engage neighborhood residents and stakeholders in a community-wide planning process that would result in a community goal and action plan that was community-owned and -driven. In this chapter, the authors describe and discuss the process by which engagement of the community, needs assessment, and planning took place. The authors use the Osborn neighborhood as the case, recognizing that, as much as possible, the same process was followed in each of the six neighborhoods.

scholarly journals The Critical Thinking Skills of Practicing Family Physicians: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 635-641
Author(s):  
David Ross ◽  
Michelle Morros ◽  
Efrem Violato
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Practicing Physicians ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Background and Objectives: Critical thinking (CT) skills are an important aspect of clinical reasoning and diagnosis. The goals of this study were to (1) examine levels of CT skills of practicing family physicians, (2) compare the CT skills of practicing family physicians to family medicine residents, and (3) identify individual variables and practice characteristics predictive of CT skills. . Methods: We used a population-based, cross-sectional design to compare practicing and resident family physicians and examine the predictors of CT skills in practicing family physicians. Sixty-two practicing family physicians were recruited across Canada. We used data from 59 family medicine residents at a single institution in Canada. We used the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) to measure CT skills. We analyzed data using descriptive and univariate analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple linear regression. CT skills were further examined in follow-up analysis using polynomial regression. Results: Residents performed better than practicing physicians on nearly all aspects of CT (P<.005). Age was the strongest predictor of CT skills in practicing physicians (P<.005); CT skills declined with age as a quadratic function (P<.005). Conclusions: As a group, practicing family physicians exhibited lower scores on the CCTST compared to family medicine residents. CT skills showed a decline with age, accelerating after approximately age 60 years. The results of the study have implications for continuing education and assessment of physicians’ clinical skills. Further research is required to better understand what other predictors may be important for CT skills of practicing family physicians.

scholarly journals Family Medicine Residents’ Attitudes About Training in Ethiopia and the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 424-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weyinshet Gossa ◽  
Christine Jones ◽  
Sorana Raiculescu ◽  
Mesfin Melaku ◽  
Elnathan Kebebew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Medicine ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Residency Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personal Life ◽  
Women's Issues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Residents Attitudes ◽  
Family Medicine Residents

Background and Objectives: In Ethiopia, family medicine began in 2013. The objective of this study was to compare family medicine residents’ attitudes about training in Ethiopia with those at a program in the United States. Methods: Family medicine residents at Addis Ababa University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland completed a 43-item Likert scale survey in 2017. The survey assessed residents’ attitudes about residency education, patient care, independence as family physicians, finances, impact of residency on personal life, and women’s issues. We calculated descriptive statistics on the demographics data and analyzed survey responses using a two-sample t-test. Results: A total of 18 (75%) Ethiopian residents and 18 (60%) US residents completed the survey (n=36). The Ethiopian residents had a wider age distribution (25-50 years) than the US residents (25-34 years). More US residents were female (72%) compared to the Ethiopian cohort (50%), while more Ethiopian residents were married (72%) compared to the US cohort (47%). There were statistically significant differences in attitudes toward patient care (P=0.005) and finances (P<0.001), differences approaching significance in attitudes toward residency education, and no significant differences in independence as family physicians, the impact of residency on personal life, and women’s issues in family medicine. Conclusions: Across two very different cultures, resident attitudes about independence as family physicians, the impact of residency on personal life and women’s issues, were largely similar, while cross-national differences in attitudes were found relative to residency education, patient care, and finances.

scholarly journals Role of Family Medicine in Reducing the Risk of Health Neglect in Low Socioeconomic Communities

2021 ◽  
pp. 106-112
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ibrahim Habadi ◽  
Yousef Hussain Alharthi ◽  
Khalid Mohammed Razim ◽  
Abdulelah Abdullah Aljurbua ◽  
Hamda Daifullah Alazwari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Family Medicine ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Suitable Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Family medicine and family physicians have exerted significant efforts in reducing the impact of the deteriorated socioeconomic factors in some communities. They attempt to enhance the quality of care for individuals. Continued research and dedicated levels in this field can also be associated with clear and innovative approaches to enhance the management of certain diseases and to improve the quality of care to reduce patients’ negligence related to potential management plans. it has been reported that family physicians have major roles in elevating the quality of care, achieving better disease management, and enhancing the quality of care for the corresponding patients because they have direct involvement with the individuals’ community and patients, In this literature review, the aim to discuss the impact of socioeconomic status on healthcare and the role that family medicine plays to enhance the quality of care for corresponding individuals’ community. The continued care of family physicians towards the health care of patients can significantly enhance the quality of life and have related health outcomes. Setting priorities and prescribing suitable treatment regimens are two important factors that might solve the problem of negligence to treatment regimens in low socioeconomic communities. Local authorities should also provide suitable environments for patients to enhance the nationwide outcomes and to reduce the burdens over the healthcare facilities by calling for integrated social, providing medical efforts, and enhancing the quality of care for patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document