Using a simulated practice to improve practice management learning.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Family Medicine Training
• Practice Management

Background:

• Family medicine residencies require practice management education, with recently expanded requirements.
• Graduates report feeling unprepared for practice management post-residency, highlighting a need for improved training.
• Current training methods may not adequately equip residents with essential practice management skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a simulated practice curriculum in enhancing practice management knowledge among family medicine residents.
• To compare the impact of a simulated practice approach versus a standard didactic curriculum on resident learning outcomes.
• To identify areas for improvement in practice management education for residents.

Main Methods:

• A simulated practice curriculum, featuring 20 modules with specific tasks, was implemented for one group of residents.
• A comparison group received a standard didactic curriculum in practice management.
• Objective examinations were administered pre- and post-curriculum to assess knowledge gains.

Main Results:

• Residents in the simulated practice group showed statistically significant increases in examination scores.
• The simulated practice group improved scores across all exam subsections, unlike the comparison group.
• Despite improvements, only one resident in the intervention group scored above 60% on the post-test.

Conclusions:

• A simulated practice approach appears more effective than didactic learning for teaching practice management to residents.
• Current educational interventions, while beneficial, do not yet result in optimal knowledge acquisition.
• Further development of practice management curricula is necessary to ensure residents achieve high levels of competency.