The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being, education and clinical practice of general practice trainees and trainers: a national cross-sectional study.
BMC Med Educ
; 22(1): 108, 2022 Feb 19.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35183171
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
COVID-19 has changed General Practice (GP) education as well as GP clinical activities. These changes have had an impact on the well-being of medical trainees and the role of GP plays in the society. We have therefore aimed to investigate the impact that COVID-19 has had on GP trainees and trainers in four domains education, workload, practice organization and the role of GP in society.DESIGN:
a cross-sectional study design was used.METHODS:
The Interuniversity Centre for the Education of General Practitioners sent an online survey with close-ended and open-ended questions to all GP trainees and trainers in Flanders, active in the period March - September 2020. Descriptive statistics were performed to analyze the quantitative data and thematic analysis for the qualitative data.RESULTS:
216 (response 25%) GP trainees and 311 (response 26%) trainers participated. GP trainees (63%, N = 136) and trainers (76%, N = 236) reported new learning opportunities since the COVID-19 pandemic. The introduction of telehealth consulting and changing guidelines required new communication and organizational skills. Most of the GP trainees (75%, n = 162) and trainers (71%, n = 221) experienced more stress at work and an overload of administrative work. The unfamiliarity with a new infectious disease and the fact that COVID-19 care compromised general GP clinical activities, created insecurity among GP trainers and trainees. Moreover, GP trainees felt that general GP activities were insufficiently covered during the COVID-19 pandemic for their training in GP. GP trainers and trainees experienced mutual support, and secondary support came from other direct colleagues. Measures such as reducing the writing of medical certificates and financial support for administrative and (para) medical support can help to reprioritize the core of GP care. COVID-19 has enhanced the use of digital learning over peer-to-peer learning and lectures. However, GP trainees and trainers preferred blended learning educational activities.CONCLUSIONS:
COVID-19 has created learning opportunities such as telehealth consulting and a flexible organization structure. To ensure quality GP education during the pandemic and beyond, regular GP care should remain the core activity of GP trainees and trainers and a balance between all different learning methods should be found.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Medicina Geral
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Guideline
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article