BACKGROUND: Community-based curricular experiences have been proposed to fulfill the graduate training needs of future family physicians. Are such experiences feasible? How can such experiences be started? What outcomes can be expected? METHODS: We describe 15 years' experience with community-based training in family practice graduate medical education at UMDNJ-Robert Wood ...

The article by J.K. Long (1996) in this issue of Family Process helps puncture the conventional secrecy around homosexuality, challenging the silence of many supervisors. In this commentary, I will expand on the themes raised by Long and offer some tangible steps we can take to teach and learn about ...

The benefits of autopsy, both for clinicians and families, are reviewed. The autopsy rate in the United States has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. The many factors contributing to this decline are summarized. For clinicians and families to receive the maximum benefits from the autopsy will require (1) ...

BACKGROUND: A multidimensional program that includes workshops on family systems, family interviewing, a home visit, and faculty precepting at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is described and evaluated. METHODS: Over a 3-year period, ETSU junior clerks received systematic instruction on family issues in medical practice. Evaluations were obtained at the ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate preparedness for rural practice and to ascertain where graduates of a community-based rural training program practise. DESIGN: Mailed cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Rural communities in British Columbia. PARTICIPANTS: Graduates of the University of British Columbia's (UBC) rural training program from 1982 to 1991 and a random sample of ...

PROBLEM BEING ADDRESSED: The continuing shortage of rural family physicians in Canada. PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: To further develop training for rural family practice so that adequate numbers of rural family physicians will be appropriately prepared. MAIN COMPONENTS OF PROGRAM: All family medicine residents should have the opportunity to experience the ...

Systems consultation to provider agencies can contribute considerably to the development of a collaborative, family-oriented approach in these agencies. The possibilities for such an undertaking depend on the establishment of working relationships at two interfaces: between the system consultant and the agency, and between the agency and its client families. ...

The Allegheny General Hospital Trauma Bereavement Program demonstrates the importance of specialized follow-up care for surviving family members and loved ones during the year after a death. Sudden, traumatic death leaves the survivors in shocked disbelief and intense emotional pain. Appropriate support and intervention can make a significant contribution to ...

There has been a replicated finding that psycho-educational family programs, in combination with medication management, can make a substantial contribution to preventing a relapse in psychotic patients. Different formats have been suggested for implementing these programs (relatives-only groups, single family units, multiple family groups). We have reviewed the appropriateness and ...

Relationships between human services program models and help-giving practices, and between both program models and help-giving practices and help-seeker control appraisals were examined in a study of 107 low socioeconomic background families. Three kinds of human services agencies were included in the study, each of which differed in terms of ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined what factors influence US third-year family practice residents' choice of location of their first practice. METHODS: A survey was developed by the members of Northeastern Ohio Network to assess the influence of factors related to family, education, geography, finances, the medical community, and others ...

Two recent issues of The Future of Children have examined programs that support families with young children: the Winter 1993 issue on home visiting and the Winter 1995 issue on the long-term outcomes of early childhood programs. In both issues, the legislation creating the Family Preservation and Support Services Program ...

BACKGROUND: High quality health care depends on superior training and outstanding residency opportunities for new physicians of all types, especially those entering family practice. But concern over the availability of adequate opportunity has caused the medical community concern across the country. Wisconsin is no different. To estimate future residency needs ...

BACKGROUND: Many studies have attempted to determine what factors influence medical students' career selections. This study determined students' perceptions of family practice, examined what variables influenced these perceptions, and measured whether medical students' perceptions were similar to or different from those of practicing family physicians. METHODS: The two populations studied ...

Support services for families who have a member with developmental disabilities are a growing component of many state mental health systems. Family empowerment is a key principle of these programs, but parents and the staff who work with them are often challenged in their efforts to have parents participate in ...

Fifty-four soldiers who had a family member enrolled in the Army Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) were surveyed as to their experiences and perceptions of the program. A high percentage of these soldiers reported satisfaction with treatment of the EFMP family member. They generally perceived the EFMP positively and were ...

Since the 1960s there has been pressure to reform medical education in a more humanistic direction. One reason this has been difficult is that most medical schools have been forced to maintain themselves on resources allocated to support research and the technology of specialized tertiary care. Nevertheless, many people believe ...

Although family violence is a common cause of patients' problems, it has not yet received sufficient attention in medical school curricula. There are several possible reasons for this delay, including the fact that teaching about family violence is complicated because there are no "quick fix" interventions, the approaches are often ...

BACKGROUND: Despite the National Institute of Medicine's endorsement of computer-based patient records (CPRs), the majority of family practice residency programs continue to use paper records. This study examined the perceptions of family medicine educators about CPRs to understand their limited use of computerized patient record systems. METHODS: A survey was ...

The 1995 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) results broke records in the number of positions filled in family practice residencies, with an increase of 11.8% over 1994 figures (2,563 vs 2,293) and an increase of 12.5% in positions filled with US seniors (2,081 vs 1,850). This is the largest number ...

BACKGROUND: The national health objective for the year 2000 is to have an overall Cesarean section rate of 15 percent, a primary Cesarean section rate of 12 percent, and a vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) rate of 35 percent. The current national statistics for the most recent year available, 1991, ...

The purpose of the study reported in this article was to identify marketing practices that are being utilized by family practice residencies in the United States and to differentiate which strategies were felt to be most useful. A survey questionnaire on marketing strategies was mailed to 361 civilian family practice ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical schools are being asked to produce more family physicians, but it is not always clear how this can be accomplished. Previous research has focused on students' characteristics and attitudes that predict specialty choice but has paid less attention to feedback they receive in the academic medical ...

To examine the status of postgraduate family medicine training that occurs in rural family practice settings in Canada and to identify problems and how they are addressed. A retrospective questionnaire sent to all 18 Canadian family medicine training programs followed by a focus group discussion of results. Canadian university family ...

BACKGROUND: Colposcopy and related therapeutic modalities are taught in many family practice residency programs. The role of the following two factors in a family practice residency program's decision to teach these procedures was evaluated: 1) the coexistence of an obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) residency program at the affiliated hospital and ...

BACKGROUND: Although procedural training in family practice has recently received greater emphasis, the current status of this training in residency programs has not been reported. Considerable variation in procedural training among family practice residencies is allowed by the American Board of Family Practice and accreditation requirements. This study was performed ...

The role of geriatrics and geriatricians in family medicine remains unsettled. Despite a rapidly aging population, a tremendous shortage now exists of faculty with interest and expertise in geriatrics. Relatively few family practice residents choose to enter geriatric fellowship programs, and federal funding for such programs has been reduced. Despite ...

A confidential consultation is the essence of family practice. That confidentiality is currently under attack from a number of disruptive influences. Several of these are physical intruders: telephone calls, undergraduate and postgraduate students, video recorders, computers, guidelines, protocols and health promotion activities. The potential benefits of each of these is ...

The death of a child is a severe and profound loss to all family members. The many tasks of the grieving process can be supported and facilitated by a bereavement program. The Whispers of Hope Bereavement Program at Duke University is a comprehensive, family-centered program providing periodic telephone contacts with ...

Pediatrics is by its nature a family-oriented medical specialty, and pediatricians gain a great deal of knowledge regarding the strengths and vulnerabilities of families in the course of traditional training and practice. The biomedical focus of pediatric training has resulted, however, in relatively little directed teaching about the contextual aspects ...

Two-generation programs are relatively new attempts to deal with the nation's social ills. In two-generation programs, services such as early childhood educational programs are offered to children to help them get the best possible start in life, while, at the same time, parents are offered training to help enhance their ...

This paper reviews the rationale underlying psychoeducational programs designed to prevent or delay relapse in persons with schizophrenia. Since most of these programs have been oriented toward patients and their close relatives, the studies reviewed have tested the effect of these programs when added to maintenance pharmacotherapy. The results of ...

This article provides a historical analysis of how demographic changes in the organization of American family life from the mid-1800s to the present have shaped the demand for programs to complement the efforts of families to educate and care for their children. The author asserts that the United States is ...

The search for ways to prevent juvenile crime in the United States has become a matter of national urgency, as the incidence of serious offenses continues to rise. Most prevention initiatives focus on late childhood or adolescence. Such initiatives may be missing an important additional opportunity to intervene earlier in ...

The experience of the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Medicine with implementing a pilot generalist program focuses on institutionalization and management. Various features of the program make it an interesting case study: It is inter-disciplinary, comprising pediatricians, general internists, and family practitioners; students join the program in the ...

This article focuses on the preparation of undergraduate and graduate students in Human Communication Sciences and Disorders, for provision of services that involve families. The author discusses the identification of a family-oriented clinical model, the identification of the prerequisites needed for students' entry into clinical training in the family-oriented model, ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an educational program for family medicine residents on using selected inhaler devices for delivery of asthma medications. DESIGN: A prospective analysis using pretests and posttests of a nonrandomized study group and control group. The study group of residents was given an instructional manual and a set of ...

International medical graduates (IMGs) represent an increasing proportion of residents in all US residency training programs. Family practice residencies have experienced significant increases in IMG enrollment in the last 3 years. Residency programs in family practice need to make curricular adjustments to enhance the transition for IMGs. Adjusting the psychosocial ...

This article reviews eight programs in New York State that provide parenting training and direct assistance to parents who are mentally retarded. Common lessons learned by the programs are discussed and guidelines are set forth on staffing, family enrollment and retention, service provision, and risk-management practices for work with similar ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As research has become an increasingly important activity in family medicine, so the teaching of research skills has become an important part of family practice residents' training. The purpose of the study was to determine the attitudes toward research and related topics of a family practice program's ...

With the worldwide family practice movement, a need has arisen to develop new residency training programs in economically developing countries. Christian mission hospitals exist in many areas where there is a need for more family physicians. These hospitals have been providing service and education, and some are now becoming training ...

We designed a public service and educational program to aid children and families coping with chronic illness and to augment medical student education. Medical students developed relationships with chronically ill children and families based on the Big Brother-Big Sister program model. In addition, students attended bimonthly seminars on childhood chronic ...

The College of Family Physicians of Canada offers education on acquired immune deficiency syndrome to family physicians across Canada. This article outlines the growth and development of this education project and describes some innovative approaches to AIDS education. In the program, family doctors teach family doctors and tailor training to ...

We describe a novel intervention program in which wives or daughters who are caregivers are taught several specific skills to enable them to manage their frustrations more effectively. These skills include learning to relax in very stressful situations and learning to be appropriately assertive with their frail elder and with ...

This survey indicated that unit leaders perceived the Army Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) positively and considered the program beneficial to the Army, the soldiers, and their families. Furthermore, the unit leaders considered the EFMP soldiers to be well accepted in their units and their duty performance to be comparable ...

BACKGROUND: The status of fourth-year chief resident (FYCR) positions in US family practice postgraduate training over the period 1987 to 1992 was assessed to better understand the role of the FYCR in family practice education. METHODS: Questionnaires were mailed to the residency directors of all US family practice residency training ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify which women's health issues are taught in the 2-year core curriculum of Canadian family medicine residency programs and whether educators think their current teaching of women's health is adequate. DESIGN: Mailed survey using a questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: All program and unit directors of the 16 Canadian family medicine ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While debate surrounds the determinants of medical students' specialty choices, the presence of favorable role models is generally agreed upon as beneficial to students' selection of a specialty. This study assessed the influence of family medicine predoctoral education directors on students' choice of family practice careers. METHODS: ...

In 1990 St. Bernardine Medical Center, San Bernardino, CA, initiated a mission project to reach out to youth and families in the hospital's service area. Increased unemployment, escalating crime, and a failing social structure had left many San Bernardino residents with few resources for breaking out of a cycle of ...

An overview of Alzheimer's special care units is provided, including the several models that have been used to guide their development. Philosophy and programming, physical and social environments, staff selection and training, admission and discharge criteria, family programming, and quality and cost features are described. Evaluation and research of special ...