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Orientation to community in a family practice residency program
R Thompson1, D Haber, C Chambers
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA.
Family Medicine
|February 14, 1998
Summary
Family medicine residents gained awareness of community resources through a community-oriented primary care (COPC) curriculum. However, this brief orientation did not significantly change patient chart documentation of public health issues.
Area of Science:
- Family Medicine
- Public Health
- Medical Education
Background:
- Family practice residencies require training in population-based healthcare.
- Community-oriented primary care (COPC) is a key component of modern healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a community-oriented primary care (COPC) curriculum on first-year family medicine residents.
- To evaluate resident learning and behavioral changes regarding community resources and public health issues.
Main Methods:
- First-year residents participated in a three-afternoon COPC curriculum.
- The curriculum included didactics on community medicine, community interviews, and resident debriefing.
- An interdisciplinary team from public health and academic family medicine facilitated the training.
Main Results:
- Residents reported increased awareness and utilization of community resources post-orientation.
- No significant change was observed in residents' patient chart documentation of the studied health issues.
- Non-physician faculty noted increased consultation from residents after the COPC experience.
Conclusions:
- An efficiently designed, early community orientation is crucial for resident training.
- Interdisciplinary team involvement and faculty role-modeling are essential for effective COPC education.
- While residents reported behavioral changes, chart review did not substantiate a documented impact on patient care documentation.