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 Medical Education

Nele R. Michels¹  Roy Remmen¹  Lotta Coenen²  Arne Van Renterghem³  Birgitte Schoenmakers⁴  Louise Vanden Poel⁵  Guy Gielis⁶ 

[1]Centre for General Practice, Department of Family Medicine and Population health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

[2]Department of Family Medicine and chronic care, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

[3]Department of Public Health and Primary care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

[4]Department of Public Health and Primary care, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 blok h - box 7001, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

[5]Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, ON II Herestraat 49 - box 400, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

[6]Interuniversity Centre for the Education of General Practitioners, Kapucijnenvoer 33 - Blok H - bus 7001, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

关键词: COVID-19;    General Practice;    Medical education;    Workplace learning;    Mental health;    Health care organization;    Telehealth;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12909-022-03174-4

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundCOVID-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.MethodsThe 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.Results216 (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.ConclusionsCOVID-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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY