Family medicine
-
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.
-
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.
-
A variety of clinical research training programs exist throughout the United States, although little is known about their methods, content, and outcomes. This report describes a model of clinical research training designed to teach medical students research processes in family medicine, while yielding data for research studies. Authors present a description and evaluation of the program, focusing on students' research productivity. ⋯ Opportunities for medical students to develop research skills should be central to medical school education. Familiarity with the research process improves medical students' ability to understand, critique, and use evidence-based medicine in practice, to explain the latest findings to their patients, and to consider careers as clinician-scientists.
-
Family medicine research productivity has been reported to be less than that of other academic disciplines. This difference could be reflected in academic success for family medicine faculty at schools where National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in emphasized. This study sought to determine if academic rank for family medicine faculty was different at schools with higher NIH funding compared to those with less funding. ⋯ The level of NIH funding does not appear to be a predictor of success at achieving higher faculty ranks for family medicine faculty.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Exercise heart rate monitors for anxiety treatment in a rural primary care setting: a pilot study.
Rural patients with anxiety often lack access to traditional biofeedback modalities. Exercise heart rate monitors (HRMs) are tools used in the fitness industry to provide athletes with feedback on heart rate and regulatory breathing strategies. HRMs are inexpensive, discrete, and publicly accessible. This randomized controlled pilot study explored whether use of HRMs for biofeedback during guided mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques could facilitate anxiety reduction as compared to these techniques alone. ⋯ This pilot study demonstrates that this novel, inexpensive, and accessible tool may be a useful clinical intervention for anxiety and can be easily incorporated by both behaviorists and non-behaviorist primary care clinicians into individual or group biofeedback treatment for patients with anxiety. This tool has additional potential for patients to use for anxiety self-management. Further study with a larger sample and blinded design is warranted.