Journal of general internal medicine
-
Following the Institute of Medicine report "To Err is Human," the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality identified proper central venous catheter (CVC) insertion techniques and wide sterile barriers (WSB) as 2 major quality indicators for patient safety. However, no standard currently exists to teach proper procedural techniques to physicians. ⋯ The sessions were rated highly worthwhile, and statistically significant improvements were seen in comfort levels with ultrasound-guided vascular access and WSB (P<.001). Given the revitalized importance of patient safety and the emphasis on reducing medical errors, further studies on the utility of nonhuman tissue models for procedural training should be enthusiastically pursued.
-
Empathy in the medical setting is appreciation of the patient's emotions and expression of that awareness to the patient. Named as an essential learning objective by the American Association of Medical Colleges, empathy is believed to significantly influence patient satisfaction, adherence to medical recommendations, clinical outcomes, and professional satisfaction. The objective of this study was to identify effective strategies to enhance empathy in undergraduate medical students. ⋯ Given the methodological limitations of the available studies, and uncertainty about which dimensions of empathy should be addressed, larger studies using validated measurement tools are recommended.
-
Economics and reimbursement have become a daily part of practicing physicians' lives. Yet, few internal medicine (IM) programs have offered formal curricula during residency about practice management or economics. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that second year IM residents feel they have a low level of knowledge regarding outpatient Medicare billing, and have a lower test score than practicing Internists to back up their feelings. The residents also strongly agree that they do not receive enough education about Medicare reimbursement, and believe it should be a requirement in residency training.
-
Mentoring during the early stages of a career has been associated with high career satisfaction and may guide development of professional expertise. Little is known about mentoring experiences during residency training. Our purpose was to describe mentoring relationships among internal medicine residents, and to examine the relationship between mentoring and perceived career preparation. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate the importance of mentoring to medical residents, and identify a relationship between mentoring and perceived career preparation. We also identify a relative lack of mentoring among interns and underrepresented minority residents.
-
Medication decision making is complex, particularly for older patients with multiple conditions for whom benefits may be uncertain and health priorities may be variable. While patient input would seem important in the face of this uncertainty and variability, little is known about older patients' views of involvement in medication decision making. ⋯ While evolution to greater patient involvement in medication decision making may be possible, and desirable to some older patients, findings suggest that the transition will be challenging.