Family medicine
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Retention and recruitment of minority faculty members continues to be a concern of medical schools because there is higher attrition and talent loss among this group. While much has been written, there has not been a systematic review published on this topic. This is the first study to use evidence-based medicine (EBM) criteria and apply it to this issue. ⋯ For medical schools to be successful in retention and recruitment of minority medical school faculty, specific programs need to be in place. Overall evidence is strong that faculty development programs and mentoring programs increase retention, productivity, and promotion for this group of medical faculty. This paper is a call to action for more faculty development and mentorship programs to reduce the disparities that exist between minority faculty and all other faculty members.
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To gain a better understanding of the facilitators and barriers to creating a practice-based research network (PBRN) of safety net clinics, we conducted a qualitative study within our network of safety net health centers. ⋯ Our results suggest that the national funding strategy for research relevant to underserved populations and all of primary care must undergo a fundamental shift. We discuss the features of possible models to meet this need.
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Over the past 10--15 years, the number of hospitalists has grown from a few hundred to over 30,000, and hospitalists have assumed a greater proportion of the care of hospitalized patients. No existing studies report on the impact this movement has had on the characteristics of the hospital practice of family physicians in teaching hospitals. To explore this impact we examined the volume and scope of discharges by family physicians at teaching hospitals in 2003 and 2012, the most recent decade of hospitalist growth. We also compared the characteristics of family physicians' hospital practices in 2012 with hospitalists in 2012 to assess for differences in hospital performance. ⋯ The growth of hospitalists has had little to no impact on the proportion of inpatient discharges in teaching hospitals by family physicians. Quality of care as judged by length of stay, mortality, and readmission rates was comparable between family physicians and hospitals in 2012.
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Our purpose was to assess medical students' willingness to help women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its relation to past exposure to violence. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the medical students' past exposure to DV impacts their psychological well-being and their willingness to help abuse survivors. Given the multitude of stresses medical students are exposed to, careful attention and attendance to the effect of abuse on their well-being may be warranted.
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There are multiple barriers that limit patients and primary care physicians (PCPs) from discussing sexual dysfunctions (SDs) during medical appointments. Exploring patient preferences in discussing SDs with PCPs may help address some barriers, which can improve doctor-patient communication about SDs, delivery of health care, and patient quality of life. ⋯ Participants preferred discussions about SDs with PCPs through various means (ie, medical history forms, medical appointments). Although participants were divided on who (patient versus PCP) should start conversations about SDs, the majority of participants did not object to PCPs inquiring about SDs during office visits or on medical history forms. Patients in poorer health and with self-reported SDs may need PCPs to inquire about SDs. Recommendations to improve health care delivery are suggested, including PCPs inquiring about SDs with all patients, especially with individuals in poorer health or with histories of SDs.