scholarly journals Advantages and Challenges of Working as a Clinician in an Academic Department of Medicine: Academic Clinicians' Perspectives

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Christmas ◽  
Samuel C. Durso ◽  
Steven J. Kravet ◽  
Scott M. Wright

Abstract Background The provision of high-quality clinical care is critical to the mission of academic and nonacademic clinical settings and is of foremost importance to academic and nonacademic physicians. Concern has been increasingly raised that the rewards systems at most academic institutions may discourage those with a passion for clinical care over research or teaching from staying in academia. In addition to the advantages afforded by academic institutions, academic physicians may perceive important challenges, disincentives, and limitations to providing excellent clinical care. To better understand these views, we conducted a qualitative study to explore the perspectives of clinical faculty in prominent departments of medicine. Methods Between March and May 2007, 2 investigators conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 24 clinically excellent internal medicine physicians at 8 academic institutions across the nation. Transcripts were independently coded by 2 investigators and compared for agreement. Content analysis was performed to identify emerging themes. Results Twenty interviewees (83%) were associate professors or professors, 33% were women, and participants represented a wide range of internal medicine subspecialties. Mean time currently spent in clinical care by the physicians was 48%. Domains that emerged related to faculty's perception of clinical care in the academic setting included competing obligations, teamwork and collaboration, types of patients and productivity expectations, resources for clinical services, emphasis on discovery, and bureaucratic challenges. Conclusions Expert clinicians at academic medical centers perceive barriers to providing excellent patient care related to competing demands on their time, competing academic missions, and bureaucratic challenges. They also believe there are differences in the types of patients seen in academic settings compared with those in the private sector, that there is a “public” nature in their clinical work, that productivity expectations are likely different from those of private practitioners, and that resource allocation both facilitates and limits excellent care in the academic setting. These findings have important implications for patients, learners, and faculty and academic leaders, and suggest challenges as well as opportunities in fostering clinical medicine at academic institutions.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwayeon Danielle Shin ◽  
Christine Cassidy ◽  
Janet Curran ◽  
Lori Weeks ◽  
Leslie Anne Campbell ◽  
...  

Objective: This review aims to explore, characterize, and map the literature on interventions implemented to change emergency department (ED) clinicians’ behaviour related to suicide prevention using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) as a guiding theoretical framework. Introduction: An ED is a critical place for suicide prevention. Yet, many patients who present with suicide-related thoughts and behaviours are discharged without proper assessment or appropriate treatment. Supporting clinicians (who provide direct clinical care, including nurses, physicians, allied health professionals) to make the desired behaviour change following evidence-based suicide prevention care is an essential step toward improving patient outcomes. However, reviews to date have yet to take a theoretical approach to investigate interventions implemented to change clinicians’ behaviour. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider literature that includes interventions that target ED clinicians’ behaviour change related to suicide prevention. Behaviour change refers to observable practice changes as well as proxy measures of behaviour change including knowledge and attitude. There are many ways in which an intervention can change clinicians’ behaviour (e.g., education, altering service delivery). This review will include a wide range of interventions that target behaviour change regardless of the type but exclude interventions that exclusively target patients.Methods: Multiple databases will be searched: PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL and Embase. We will also include grey literature, including Google search, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Scopus conference papers. Full text of included studies will be reviewed, critically appraised and extracted. Extracted data will be coded to identify intervention functions using the BCW. Findings will be summarized in tables accompanied by narrative reports.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunny S. Lou ◽  
Charles W. Goss ◽  
Bradley A. Evanoff ◽  
Jennifer G. Duncan ◽  
Thomas Kannampallil

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a transformation of clinical care practices to protect both patients and providers. These changes led to a decrease in patient volume, impacting physician trainee education due to lost clinical and didactic opportunities. We measured the prevalence of trainee concern over missed educational opportunities and investigated the risk factors leading to such concerns. Methods All residents and fellows at a large academic medical center were invited to participate in a web-based survey in May of 2020. Participants responded to questions regarding demographic characteristics, specialty, primary assigned responsibility during the previous 2 weeks (clinical, education, or research), perceived concern over missed educational opportunities, and burnout. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between missed educational opportunities and the measured variables. Results 22% (301 of 1375) of the trainees completed the survey. 47% of the participants were concerned about missed educational opportunities. Trainees assigned to education at home had 2.85 [95%CI 1.33–6.45] greater odds of being concerned over missed educational opportunities as compared with trainees performing clinical work. Trainees performing research were not similarly affected [aOR = 0.96, 95%CI (0.47–1.93)]. Trainees in pathology or radiology had 2.51 [95%CI 1.16–5.68] greater odds of concern for missed educational opportunities as compared with medicine. Trainees with greater concern over missed opportunities were more likely to be experiencing burnout (p = 0.038). Conclusions Trainees in radiology or pathology and those assigned to education at home were more likely to be concerned about their missed educational opportunities. Residency programs should consider providing trainees with research or at home clinical opportunities as an alternative to self-study should future need for reduced clinical hours arise.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S233-S234
Author(s):  
Corrin Graue ◽  
Bryan H Schmitt ◽  
Amy Waggoner ◽  
Frederic Laurent ◽  
Lelia Abad ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Bone and Joint Infections (BJIs) present with non-specific symptoms that may include pain, swelling, and fever and are associated with high morbidity and significant risk of mortality. BJIs can be caused by a variety of bacteria and fungi, including anaerobes and microorganisms that can be challenging to culture or identify by traditional microbiological methods. Clinicians primarily rely on culture to identify the pathogen(s) responsible for infection. The BioFire® Bone and Joint Infection (BJI) Panel (BioFire Diagnostics, Salt Lake City, UT) is designed to detect 15 gram-positive bacteria (including seven anaerobes), 14 gram-negative bacteria (including one anaerobe), two yeast, and eight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes from synovial fluid specimens in about an hour. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an Investigational Use Only (IUO) version of the BioFire BJI Panel compared to various reference methods. Methods Remnant synovial fluid specimens, which were collected for routine clinical care at 13 study sites in the US and Europe, underwent testing using an IUO version of the BioFire BJI Panel. Performance of this test was determined by comparison to Standard of Care (SoC) consisting of bacterial culture performed at each study site according to their routine procedures. Results A total of 1544 synovial fluid specimens were collected and tested with the BioFire BJI Panel. The majority of specimens were from knee joints (77.9%) and arthrocentesis (79.4%) was the most common collection method. Compared to SoC culture, overall sensitivity was 90.2% and specificity was 99.8%. The BioFire BJI Panel yielded a total of 268 Detected results, whereas SoC yielded a total of 215 positive results for on-panel analytes. Conclusion The BioFire BJI Panel is a sensitive, specific, and robust test for rapid detection of a wide range of analytes in synovial fluid specimens. The number of microorganisms and resistance genes included in the BioFire BJI Panel, together with a reduced time-to-result and increased diagnostic yield compared to culture, is expected to aid in the timely diagnosis and appropriate management of BJIs. Disclosures Benjamin von Bredow, PhD, BioFire (Grant/Research Support) Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, BioFire Diagnostic (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator) Bart Kensinger, PhD, BioFire Diagnostics (Employee) Benedicte Pons, PhD, bioMerieux SA (Employee) Corinne Jay, PhD, bioMerieux SA (Employee)


2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110314
Author(s):  
Tracy Haitana ◽  
Suzanne Pitama ◽  
Donna Cormack ◽  
Mau Te Rangimarie Clark ◽  
Cameron Lacey

Objective: Research designed to increase knowledge about Māori with bipolar disorder is required to understand how health services support wellbeing and respond to identified levels of community need. This paper synthesises the expert critique of Māori patients with bipolar disorder and their whānau regarding the nuances of cultural competence and safety in clinical encounters with the health system. Methods: A qualitative Kaupapa Māori Research methodology was used. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were completed with Māori patients with bipolar disorder and members of their whānau. Structural, descriptive and pattern coding was completed using an adapted cultural competence framework to organise and analyse the data. Results: Three themes were evident from participants’ critique of clinical components of the health system. Theme 1 established that the efficacy of clinical care for bipolar disorder was dependent on Māori patients and whānau having clear pathways through care, and being able to access timely, consistent care from clinically and culturally competent staff. Theme 2 identified the influence of clinical culture in bipolar disorder services, embedded into care settings, expressed by staff, affecting the safety of clinical care for Māori. Theme 3 focused on the need for bipolar disorder services to prioritise clinical work with whānau, equip staff with skills to facilitate engagement and tailor care with resources to enhance whānau as well as patient wellbeing. Conclusion: The standard of clinical care for Māori with bipolar disorder in New Zealand does not align with practice guidelines, Māori models of health or clinical frameworks designed to inform treatment and address systemic barriers to equity. Research also needs to explore the role of structural and organisational features of the health system on Māori patient and whānau experiences of care.


1987 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Messenger ◽  
P Bowker

This paper reports the results of a survey carried out to assess the clinical usage currently being made of gait analysis facilities within the UK. Thirty-five centres were circulated with a questionnaire which requested information under four main headings: (i) equipment, (ii) research projects, (iii) clinical service commitments, and (iv) subjective views of the ultimate clinical value of the service. Of the 25 completed questionnaires returned, 16 were suitable for inclusion in the final analysis of data. The survey provided useful data on the equipment and facilities available in each centre together with details of the service available to prospective referring clinicians. Ten centres were considered as being currently involved in some clinical work, with six of these being routinely involved. The respondents generally felt that gait analysis techniques have a clinical context, if not yet routinely, but the numbers of referrals to the centres is still quite small. A number of areas worthy of further work were identified by the respondents. It is hoped that presentation of these results will stimulate dialogue between centres and between clinicians and bioengineers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Marta Matamala-Gomez ◽  
Antonella Maselli ◽  
Clelia Malighetti ◽  
Olivia Realdon ◽  
Fabrizia Mantovani ◽  
...  

Over the last 20 years, virtual reality (VR) has been widely used to promote mental health in populations presenting different clinical conditions. Mental health does not refer only to the absence of psychiatric disorders but to the absence of a wide range of clinical conditions that influence people’s general and social well-being such as chronic pain, neurological disorders that lead to motor o perceptual impairments, psychological disorders that alter behaviour and social cognition, or physical conditions like eating disorders or present in amputees. It is known that an accurate perception of oneself and of the surrounding environment are both key elements to enjoy mental health and well-being, and that both can be distorted in patients suffering from the clinical conditions mentioned above. In the past few years, multiple studies have shown the effectiveness of VR to modulate such perceptual distortions of oneself and of the surrounding environment through virtual body ownership illusions. This narrative review aims to review clinical studies that have explored the manipulation of embodied virtual bodies in VR for improving mental health, and to discuss the current state of the art and the challenges for future research in the context of clinical care.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (04) ◽  
pp. 166-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Eisemann ◽  
Ryan Wagner ◽  
Edward Reece

AbstractDespite incredible advances in medical innovation and education, many students finish medical school, and physicians finish residency, without sound business acumen regarding the financial realities of the modern profession. The curriculum in medical schools and residency programs too often neglects teaching the business of medicine. This overview addresses how physicians can utilize effective negotiation strategies to help develop a medical practice or add value to an existing practice or institution. The authors applied the six foundations of effective negotiating, detailed by Richard Shell in his Bargaining for Advantage, to the medical field to demonstrate the processes involved in effective negotiating. They then outlined a strategy for physicians to adopt when negotiating and showed how this strategy can be used to add value. The six foundations include: developing a personal bargaining style, setting realistic goals, determining authoritative standards, establishing relationships, exploring the other party's interests, and gaining leverage. As physicians complete training, the ability to solely focus on medical knowledge and clinical patient care disappears. It is crucial that physicians invest the time and energy into preparing for the business aspects of this profession in much the same way they prepare for the clinical care of patients. This overview seeks to define the basics of negotiation, characterize the application of negotiation principles toward clinical medicine, and lay the foundation for further discussion and investigation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1509-1516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amr E. Abouleish ◽  
Mark H. Zornow ◽  
Ronald S. Levy ◽  
James Abate ◽  
Donald S. Prough

Background The ability to measure productivity, work performed, or contributions toward the clinical mission has become an important issue facing anesthesiology departments in private practice and academic settings. Unfortunately, the practice and billing of anesthesia services makes it difficult to quantify individual productivity. This study examines the following methods of measuring individual productivity: normalized clinical days per year (nCD/yr); time units per operating-room day worked (TU/OR day); normalized time units per year (nTU/yr); total American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) units per OR day (tASA/OR day); and normalized total ASA units per year (ntASA/yr). Methods Billing and scheduling data for clinical activities of faculty members of an anesthesiology department at a university medical center were collected and analyzed for the 1998 fiscal year. All clinical sites and all clinical faculty anesthesiologists were included unless they spent less than 20% of their time during the fiscal year providing clinical care, i.e., less than 0.2 clinical full-time equivalent. Outliers, defined as faculty who had productivity greater or less than 1 SD from the mean, were examined in detail. Results Mean and median values were reported for each measurement, and different groups of outliers were identified. nCD/yr identified faculty who worked more than their clinical full-time equivalent would have predicted. TU/OR day and tASA/OR day identified apparently low-productivity faculty as those who worked a large portion of their time in obstetric anesthesia or an ambulatory surgicenter. tASA/OR day identified specialty anesthesiologists as apparently high-productivity faculty. nTU/yr and ntASA/yr were products of the per-OR day measurement and nCD/yr. Conclusion Each of the measurements studied values certain types of productivity more than others. By defining what type of service is most important to reward, the most appropriate measure or combination of measures of productivity can be chosen. In the authors' department, nCD/yr is the most useful measure of individual productivity because it measures an individual anesthesiologist's contribution to daily staffing, includes all clinical sites, is independent of nonanesthesia factors, and is easy to collect and determine.


1982 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 543-545
Author(s):  
Philip Barker

The two main components of child psychiatric training should be supervised clinical work of high quality and training in the questing, scientific approach to the subject. These should be combined so that residents consider the assessment and management of all their clinical cases in a critical way, at the same time looking critically also at the pertinent literature. Management and treatment methods should be selected in the context of discussion of the current state of knowledge in the area. Trainees should see and treat children and adolescents of all ages and with the full range of psychiatric disorders. Ten percent of their caseload should consist of mentally retarded children. It may be necessary to teach about some rare syndromes by the use of videotapes. Residents should be familiar with the uses, and drawbacks, of a wide range of therapies, including residential treatment, but can only be expected to develop special expertise in a few. Didactic teaching unrelated to clinical work is probably of limited value.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinniang Nan

In the current science teaching in vocational colleges, basic medicine and clinical medicine play an important role in cultivating students' career development. They are the key courses to strengthen students' comprehensive ability and improve students' application skills. However, in the current internal medicine teaching, there is a problem that the combination of the two teaching is not close, which leads to some difficulties in learning. Under this background, this paper analyzes the current situation of science teaching in vocational colleges, and then puts forward the effective path of the combination of basic medicine and clinical medicine teaching.


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