Does the Distribution of Booklets on After-hours Consultations to All Residents in a Town Affect the Number of After-hours Visits? An Interrupted Time Series Analysis / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

Introduction: Optimization of after-hours visits to medical institutions is one of the major problems in medical systems. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of the distribution of booklets about after-hours common symptom management to all residents on the number of after-hour consultations.Method: The Tadami town government distributed booklets to all town residents in July 2011. We analyzed the number of after-hours consultations per month at Tadami National Health Insurance Asahi Clinic, which is the only medical institution in the town, from January 2010 to December 2012. We employed an interrupted time series analysis.Result: The number of included after-hours consultations during the study period was 2,399. The baseline trend was 0.0071 (95% confidence interval −0.011, 0.025), and the slope change from the baseline trend was −0.0061 (−0.034, 0.022).Conclusion: On comparison of before and after the distribution of a booklet about after-hours common symptom management to all residents in the town, the number of after-hours consultations did not change significantly.

The rise of primary care in Japan and new postgraduate general practice training in the UK / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

Introduction : <br> This article aims to explain the new Membership of Royal College of General Practitioners (nMRCGP), new postgraduate general practice training in the UK. It will also compare this with that of the Japan Primary Care Association to identify areas requiring further development in postgraduate family medicine training in Japan.<br>Methods : <br> The introduction of the nMRCGP based on the available literature, followed by discussion amongst family physicians and trainees in Japan.<br>Results : <br> Following a comparison between the postgraduate general practice training in the UK and Japan, the following three points were raised : 1) The need for a clear definition of the role that family physicians play in Japan. 2) The importance of formative assessment as part of the membership examination in the form of portfolios. 3) The need for clear competency areas to form the framework for formative assessment, and for the clear standard that trainees are judged against in each of those competency areas.<br>Conclusion : <br> The above results were highlighted and discussed as possible areas for further development in postgraduate family medicine training in Japan.