Home Visits Improve Attitudes and Self-Efficacy: A Longitudinal Curriculum for Residents

To develop a competency-based, adaptable home visit curricula and clinical framework for family medicine (FM) residents, and to examine resident attitudes, self-efficacy, and skills following implementation.

Quantitative analysis of resident survey responses and qualitative thematic analysis of written resident reflections.

Urban FM residency program.

A total of 43 residents and 20 homebound patients in a home-based primary care program.

A home-based primary care practice and accompanying curriculum for FM residents was developed and implemented to improve learners' confidence and skills to perform home visits.

A 10-question survey with a 4-point Likert scale and open-ended responses. Written resident reflections following home visits.

Over 3 years, 43 unique respondents completed a total of 79 surveys evaluating attitudes, skills, and barriers to home care. Some residents may have completed the survey more than once at different stages in their training. Overall, 86% are interested in home visits in future practice, and 78% of survey responses indicated an increased likelihood to perform home visits with more training. Learners with two or more home visits reported significantly improved confidence. Themes across all resident reflections included social determinants of health, patient-physician relationship, patient-home assessment, patient autonomy/independence, and physician wellness/attitudes. Residents described how home visits encourage more holistic care to improve outcomes for patients who are homebound.

Our home visit curriculum provided new learning, an enhanced desire to practice home-based primary care, improved learner confidence, and could help residents meet the need of a growing population of adults who are homebound. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:852-858, 2020.