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Biomedical subjects

S Westin

Publications and source records attributed to S Westin.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

A group-based training programme for general practitioners: a Norwegian experience.

There are approximately 3000 general practitioners in Norway, serving a population of slightly above four million people. A three year postgraduate education scheme for general practitioners has been in effect since 1973, to be replaced by a five year vocational training programme from January 1985, making general practice a fully recognized specialty from that date. The educational requirements consist of one year of hospital training, four years of training in general practice, and a total of 400 hours of course education, mainly in clinical subjects. The core element of the training is attendance at a group-based structured educational programme of two years' duration. This article describes the concepts and content of this decentralized group-based education, as well as some of the conflicting considerations which eventually led to this new Norwegian model of general practice training. The first evaluation studies indicate that the educational programme has met a long standing need among general practitioners.

Curriculum↗
PubMed1988

Medical consequences of a factory closure: illness and disability in a four-year follow-up study.

The effect of a factory shut-down on sick leave and disability pensions was investigated in a four-year controlled follow-up study in a general practice setting. The study population consisted of 85 people, 72 women and 13 men, who lost their jobs when a sardine factory near Bergen in Norway was shut down in 1975. The employees of a nearby sister factory' within the same company were chosen as a control population, consisting of 87 people, 66 women and 21 men. The average amount of sick leave for the study group within the first year of follow-up showed a twofold increase compared to the controls. The rate of disability pensions, estimated by the life table method with appropriate adjustments, was more than three times higher in the study group than in the control group from the second through the fourth year of follow-up. The results of this investigation provide further evidence in support of a causal relationship between job loss and illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Group training of general practitioners: evaluation based on participants' expectations of an educational programme.

Since 1985, the Norwegian Medical Association (NMA) has offered a 5-year specialist training programme in general practice. For two of these years the doctors take part in a group-based educational programme with bi-weekly meetings of 3 hours' duration. The evaluation study reported here had a dual purpose: to provide the groups with a method for exploring the group members' expectations of the programme, and to measure to what extent the programme had actually met these expectations within the first of the 2 years. Thirty-one of 38 groups, first established in spring 1986, responded on a postal inquiry where they were asked to list up to 10 features they expected to find in the educational programme. These expectations were rated by the groups on a five-point scale, where 5 denoted a fully met expectation. The four most frequent features analysed were: (1) increased comprehension of the characteristics and practice of general medicine; (2) good group collaboration; (3) facilitating the acquisition of medical knowledge; and (4) evaluation of clinical problems and patient management. Expectations for the first two of these features were nearly fully met, while the two others were met to a lesser degree. This type of evaluation seemed to be a useful tool for improving the group's way of functioning.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1986

Problem-solving styles of medical students related to knowledge and personality in simulated clinical situations.

A study of problem-solving styles, employing a method previously used with general practitioners, was carried out with 40 final-year medical students. By giving their ratings on a five-point rating scale of 21-24 statements relating to each of three case histories, an answer index could be computed, expressing each student's tendency to make assertive versus non-assertive decisions. The relationship of this answer index to knowledge (grades and educational level), personality (Eysenck personality inventory [EPI]), and time used in the exercises was examined. High answer index (high degree of decisiveness in the clinical simulations) was significantly correlated with extroverted personality on the EPI (P less than 0.05) and negatively correlated with time spent on the exercises (P less than 0.01), whereas no relationship was found with grades in medical school, educational level, neuroticism on the EPI, or the students' sex and age. The findings are discussed in relation to previous studies on clinical problem-solving.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Problem solving styles of general practitioners in simulated clinical situations.

Self-assessments were received from 210 general practitioners responding to a series of six patients management problems published in a Norwegian medical journal. The physicians were invited to give their ratings on a five-point rating scale for 21 to 24 statements relating to each of the six case histories. From these ratings an answer index was prepared which measured the degree of decisiveness for each individual physician. The responding physicians showed great variations in their problem solving styles. Physicians with a high degree of decisiveness in their problem solving styles had significantly longer experience as general practitioners, were older and were more likely to work in single-handed practices rather than group or partnership practices. Sex, practice economy and work load were some of the variables not related to the observed differences in problem solving styles.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Patient management problems in general practice using a medical journal for self-assessment exercises.

A series of six patient management problems, with clinical case histories from the authors' own practices, was presented in a Norwegian medical journal (Utposten) during 1981 and the spring of 1982. The readers were asked to respond to a number of statements which related to each case history, using a 5-point rating scale. The answers were prepared from return forms mailed anonymously to the authors, leaving the doctors with copies of their own answers. The following issue of the journal then presented the distribution of all incoming answers by giving histograms and mean values of the ratings for each question. In addition, the case history author gave his own ratings, a review of the answers, and more details about the case. In this way the respondents were given a possibility of comparing their own diagnostic skills and management decisions with those of their colleagues. There was a total of 406 incoming answers from 243 different participants, among whom 210 were general practitioners or district physicians. Background characteristics of these doctors are discussed, as well as the results of an evaluation questionnaire. This experiment with problem solving by mail was well received by the readers, mainly as a supplement to their continuing medical education. The method in this study, which permits quantification of clinical decision, may be a useful tool for medical audit activities.

Adult↗