Transitions in general practice training: quantifying epidemiological variation in trainees’ experiences and clinical behaviours
Date
2022
Authors
Tran, Michael
Wearne, Susan
Tapley, Amanda
Fielding, Alison
Davey, Andrew
van Driel, Mieke
Holliday, Elizabeth G.
Ball, Jean
Fitzgerald, Kristen
Spike, Neil
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
Background
General Practice training in Australia is delivered through the apprenticeship model. General Practice supervisors support trainees transitioning from hospital-based work towards competent independent community-based practice. The timing and manner in which support should be provided is still not well understood. This study aimed to establish the variation in clinical and educational experiences and behaviours, and location, of general practice trainees’ consultations by stage of their vocational training. It was hypothesised that change is greater in earlier stages of training.
Methods
A cross-sectional analysis of data (2010–2018) from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) study, an ongoing cohort study of Australian GP registrars’ in-consultation clinical and educational experience and behaviours. Multinomial logistic regression assessed the association of demographic, educational, and clinical factors in different stages of training. The outcome factor was the training term.
Results
Two thousand four hundred sixteen registrars contributed data for 321,414 patient consultations. For several important variables (seeing patients with chronic disease; new patients; seeking in-consultation information or assistance; ordering pathology and imaging; and working in a small or regional practice), odds ratios were considerably greater for comparisons of Term 1 and 3, relative to comparisons of Term 2 and 3.
Conclusion
Differences experienced in demographic, clinical and educational factors are significantly more pronounced earlier in registrars’ training. This finding has educational and training implications with respect to resource allocation, trainee supervision and curriculum design. Sociocultural learning theory enables an understanding of the impact of transitions on, and how to support, general practice trainees and supervisors
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Keywords
Education, Medical,, Graduate, Family practice, General practice, Primary health care, In-practice experience,, Change management, Social theory
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Source
BMC Medical Education
Type
Journal article
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Open Access
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