Family medicine
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Burnout impacts medical students, residents, and practicing physicians. Existing research oversimplifies characteristics associated with burnout. Our study examined relationships between burnout, depressive symptoms, and evidence-based risk factors. ⋯ Current findings document substantial social disconnection, substandard residency wellness programs, inadequate time for exercise, sleep, and other forms of self-care in addition to substantial levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and depressive symptoms. We explore implications for the design of future burnout prevention efforts and research.
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Physician burnout is well described in the literature. In response, experts are now shifting to try to understand physician resiliency. We sought to better understand burnout and resiliency from the perspective of family medicine residents through the qualitative analysis of photographs and discussion. ⋯ Family medicine residents experience burnout in specific, unique ways, and are able to identify common sources of resilience. Family medicine educators can use the Photovoice methodology to help residents capture their personal experiences of burnout, share their experiences with peers, and discover sources of resilience.
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Diversity, inclusion, and health equity (DIHE) are integral to the practice of family medicine. Academic family medicine has been grappling with these issues in recent years, particularly with a focus on racism and health inequity. We studied the current state of DIHE activities in academic family medicine departments and suggest a framework for departments to become more diverse, inclusive, antiracist, and focused on health equity and racial justice. ⋯ The majority of family medicine department chairs rate their departments highly on DIHE. However, only 50% of departments have formally assessed climate in the past 3 years, fewer have diversity officers, and even fewer invest resources in their diversity officers. This disconnect should motivate academic family medicine departments to undertake formal self-assessment and implement a strategic plan that includes resource investment in DIHE, measurable outcomes, and sustainability.
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As clinicians increasingly rely on telemedicine, medical students will need to learn how to appropriately use telemedicine in patient care. A formal approach to curriculum development is needed to identify gaps and needs in early medical student performance. ⋯ Findings suggest that early medical students are able to gather history and communicate over telemedicine, but perform poorly on telemedicine physical examination skills. More robust curriculum development addressing telemedicine physical examinations skills is needed early in medical training.
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To better understand the current use of simulation and barriers to its use in family medicine resident education, we surveyed US family medicine residency (FMR) program directors (PDs) about opinions and use of simulation-based medical education (SBME) in their programs. A number of specialties have incorporated or required simulation-based educational techniques in residency education over the past 10 years, but little is known about the current use of SBME in family medicine graduate medical education. We also evaluated associations between program characteristics and the use of SBME in FMR education. ⋯ Use of SBME in family medicine resident education has increased since 2011. PDs value simulation for education and remediation, and most programs have introduced some degree of simulation despite barriers. The results of this study can inform resources to support the continued integration of SBME into family medicine resident education.