Evaluation of the star family doctors training program: an observational cohort study of a novel continuing medical education program for general practitioners within a compact medical consortium: a quantitative analysis

• Published in: BMC medical education 2023-04, Vol.23 (1), p.250-250, Article 250
• Main Authors: Liang, Ling-Bo, Li, Xu, Liu, Xiang-Ping, Li, Cai-Zheng, Luo, Dan, Liu, Feng, Mao, Ting-Rui, Su, Qiao-Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Cohort analysis; Community Relations; Consortia; Continuing medical education; Continuing professional development; Control Groups; Departments; Education, Medical, Continuing; Educational Needs; Family medicine; Family physicians; Female; General practice; General Practitioners - education; Health care; Hospitals; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Job Training; Learning; Male; Measurement Techniques; Medical education; Medical personnel; Medical Services; Methods; Middle Aged; Observational studies; Patient satisfaction; Patients; Physicians; Physicians, Family; Primary care; Primary Health Care; Professional Continuing Education; Professional development; Program evaluation; Quantitative analysis; Self evaluation; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Services; Small Group Instruction; Students; Teaching methods; Test Results; Training; Urban Areas
• ISSN: 1472-6920; 1472-6920
• DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04210-7

To determine the effectiveness of the Star Family Doctors Training Program, a comprehensive Continuing professional development (CPD) program for general practitioners (GPs) in a compact medical consortium. Observational cohort study with a quantitative analyses in primary health care institutions in Sichuan Province. The interventions were as following: (1) The Star Family Doctors Training Program is a full-time, local government allocation program certified by the Health Department of Sichuan Province, emphasizing small group learning and practice, and using standard patients and medical patient simulators; 30 participants were selected by their institutions. (2) The control group underwent a self-financed after-work CPD program using conventional lectures; 50 participants were self-selected. Short-term effectiveness assessed using immediate post-training tests and self-evaluations; long-term (1 year) effectiveness evaluated using self-reported surveys. The study involved 80 GPs (28.75% men; mean age: 38.2 ± 9.2 years). The average post-training total score was higher in the STAR group than in the control group (72.83 ± 5.73 vs. 68.18 ± 7.64; p = 0.005). Compared to the controls, STAR participants reported seeing more patients (all p