1
|
Peart J, Michels NR, Hanley K, Dolan C, Luyckx J, Tanghe V, Peeters E, Burneikaite M, Varvuolyte S, Homar V, Galič L, Klobučar Kragelj K, McCoombe G, Scherpbier N. What influences on their professional development do general practice trainees report from their hospital placements? A qualitative study. Eur J Gen Pract 2023; 29:2191947. [PMID: 37132423 PMCID: PMC10158549 DOI: 10.1080/13814788.2023.2191947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The clinical learning environment is important in GP specialty training and impacts professional development. Uniquely for GP trainees, about half of their training periods occur in a hospital environment, which is not their final workplace. There is still little understanding of how hospital-based training influences GP's professional development. OBJECTIVES To seek the views of GP trainees on how their hospital experience contributes to their professional development as a GP. METHODS This international and qualitative study seeks the views of GP trainees from Belgium, Ireland, Lithuania, and Slovenia. Semi-structured interviews were performed in the original languages. A joint thematic analysis in the English language resulted in key categories and themes. RESULTS From the four themes identified, GP trainees were found to experience additional challenges on top of the service provision/education tensions, which are common to all hospital trainees. Despite these, the hospital rotation component of GP training is valued by trainees. A strong finding of our study is the need to ensure that learning from the hospital placements is placed firmly in the context of general practice, e.g. GP placements prior or parallel with the hospital placements, educational activities resourced by GPs during their hospital experience, encouraging hospital teachers to have greater awareness of the educational needs of GPs, including an awareness of their training curriculum. CONCLUSION This novel study highlights how hospital placements for GP trainees could be enhanced. Further study could be broadened to recently qualified GPs, which may uncover new areas of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Peart
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nele R Michels
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Cian Dolan
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Julie Luyckx
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Valerie Tanghe
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Emma Peeters
- Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Milda Burneikaite
- Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Internal Diseases, Family medicine and Oncology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Sonata Varvuolyte
- Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Internal Diseases, Family medicine and Oncology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vesna Homar
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lucija Galič
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kamala Klobučar Kragelj
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Geoff McCoombe
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nynke Scherpbier
- Department of General Practice and Elderly Care, Groningen University, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dowling S, Last J, Finnegan H, Bourke J, Daly P, Hanrahan C, Harrold P, McCoombe G, Cullen W. How does small group continuing medical education (CME) impact on practice for rural GPs and their patients, a mixed-methods study. Educ Prim Care 2020; 31:153-161. [PMID: 32089106 DOI: 10.1080/14739879.2020.1728704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies which report outcomes of continuing medical education (CME) interventions for rural general practitioners (GPs) are limited. This mixed methods study recruited GPs from four CME small group learning (SGL) tutor groups based in different rural locations in the Republic of Ireland. A two-hour teaching module on deprescribing in older patients was devised and implemented. Assessment of educational outcomes was via questionnaires, prescribing audits and qualitative focus groups. All GPs (n = 43) in these CME-SGL groups agreed to participate, 27 of whom (63%) self-identified as being in rural practice. Rural GPs were more likely to be male (56%), in practice for longer (19 years), and attending CME for longer (13 years). The questionnaires indicated learning outcomes were achieved knowledge increased immediately after the education, and was maintained 6 months later. Twenty-four GPs completed audits involving 191 patients. Of these, 152 (79.6%) were de-prescribed medication. In the qualitative focus groups, GPs reported sharing experiences with their peers during CME-SGL helped them to improve patient care and ensured that clinical practice is more consistent across the group. For rural GPs, CME-SGL involving discussion of cases and the practical implementation of guidelines, associated with audit, can lead to changes in patient care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Dowling
- University College Dublin School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, UCD , Dublin City, Ireland
| | - J Last
- University College Dublin School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, UCD , Dublin City, Ireland
| | - H Finnegan
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Bourke
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pat Daly
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Pat Harrold
- Irish College of General Practice, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Geoff McCoombe
- University College Dublin School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, UCD , Dublin City, Ireland
| | - W Cullen
- University College Dublin School of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, UCD , Dublin City, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|