Level of patients' knowledge, confidence, and acceptance regarding the role of residents in a family medicine teaching clinic.

BACKGROUND: Although participation of patients is essential for completing the training of medical residents, little is known about the relationships among patients' level of knowledge about the role and responsibilities of medical residents, their confidence in residents' abilities, and their acceptance toward receiving care from residents. The study sought to clarify if and how these three patient-resident relationship components are interrelated. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire distributed in 2016 to a convenience sample of adult patients (≥ 18 years old) visiting a family medicine teaching clinic. Proportions and chi-square statistics were used to describe and compare groups, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 471 patients who answered the questionnaire, only 28% were found to be knowledgeable about the role of family medicine residents. Between 54% and 83% of patients reported being highly confident in the ability of residents to perform five routine tasks. Of the patients surveyed, 69% agreed to see a resident during their next appointments. Patients with a high level of confidence in residents' abilities were more likely to agree to see a resident during future appointments (p <0.0001). There was no significant association between level of knowledge and either confidence or acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of patients had poor knowledge about the role of residents, this was not related to their acceptance of being cared for by residents. A higher level of confidence in residents' ability to perform certain tasks was associated with greater acceptance toward seeing a resident during future appointments.

CONTEXTE: Tandis que la participation des patients est essentielle pour la formation de résidents en médecine, on en sait peu sur le rapport entre le niveau de connaissance qu'ont les patients du rôle et des responsabilités des résidents, leur confiance dans les compétences des résidents et leur acceptation de recevoir des soins de leur part. La présente étude visait à clarifier si et de quelle manière ces trois composantes du rapport patient-résident sont interreliées. MÉTHODES: Il s'agit d'une étude transversale réalisée au moyen d'un questionnaire auto-administré distribué en 2016 à un échantillon de convenance de patients adultes (≥ 18 ans) ayant fréquenté une clinique universitaire de médecine familiale. La proportion et le test du khi carré ont été utilisés respectivement pour décrire et pour comparer les groupes. RÉSULTATS: Parmi les 471 patients qui ont répondu au questionnaire, à peine 28 % connaissaient bien le rôle des résidents en médecine familiale. Entre 54 % et 83 % des patients ont déclaré avoir une grande confiance dans la capacité des résidents à effectuer cinq tâches de routine. Parmi les patients interrogés, 69 % ont accepté de voir un résident lors de leurs prochains rendez-vous. Les patients ayant un niveau de confiance élevé dans les capacités des résidents étaient plus susceptibles d'accepter de voir un résident lors de leurs prochains rendez-vous (p <0,0001). Il n'y avait pas d'association significative entre le niveau de connaissance des patients et leur confiance dans les résidents ou leur acceptation d'être traités par ces derniers. CONCLUSIONS: Bien que la majorité des patients aient une mauvaise connaissance du rôle des résidents, celle-ci n'a pas d'incidence sur leur acceptation d'être soignés par de résidents. Un niveau de confiance plus élevé dans la capacité des résidents à effectuer certaines tâches était associé à une plus grande acceptation de voir un résident à l'avenir.

Influence of a Pay-for-Performance Program on Glycemic Control in Patients Living with Diabetes by Family Physicians in a Canadian Province.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the influence of the introduction of a pay-for-performance program implemented in 2010 for family physicians on the glycemic control of patients with diabetes. METHODS: Administrative data for all 583 eligible family physicians and 83,580 adult patients with diabetes in New Brunswick over 10 years were used. We compared the probability of receiving at least 2 tests for glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels and achieving glycemic control before (2005-2009) and after (2010-2014) the implementation of the program and between patients divided based on whether a physician claimed the incentive or did not. RESULTS: Patients living with diabetes showed greater odds of receiving at least 2 A1C tests per year if the detection of their diabetes occurred after (vs. before) the implementation of the program (OR, 99% CI=1.23, 1.18 to 1.28), if a physician claimed the incentive (vs. not claiming it) for their care (1.92, 1.87 to 1.96) in the given year, and if they were followed by a physician who ever (vs. never) claimed the incentive (1.24, 1.15 to 1.34). In a cohort-based analysis, patients for whom an incentive was claimed (vs. not claimed) had greater odds of receiving at least 2 A1C tests per year before implementation of the incentive, and these odds increased by 56% (1.49 to 1.62) following its implementation. However, there was no difference in A1C values among the various comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of the incentive was associated with greater odds of having a minimum of 2 A1C tests per year, which may suggest that it led physicians to provide better follow-up care for patients with diabetes. However, the incentive program has not been associated with differences in glycemic control.

Factors that could explain the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adults in a Canadian province: a critical review and analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes has increased since the last decade in New Brunswick. Identifying factors contributing to the increase in diabetes prevalence will help inform an action plan to manage the condition. The objective was to describe factors that could explain the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in New Brunswick since 2001. METHODS: A critical literature review was conducted to identify factors potentially responsible for an increase in prevalence of diabetes. Data from various sources were obtained to draw a repeated cross-sectional (2001-2014) description of these factors concurrently with changes in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in New Brunswick. Linear regressions, Poisson regressions and Cochran Armitage analysis were used to describe relationships between these factors and time. RESULTS: Factors identified in the review were summarized in five categories: individual-level risk factors, environmental risk factors, evolution of the disease, detection effect and global changes. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased by 120% between 2001 and 2014. The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, prediabetes, alcohol consumption, immigration and urbanization increased during the study period and the consumption of fruits and vegetables decreased which could represent potential factors of the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity, smoking, socioeconomic status and education did not present trends that could explain the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes. During the study period, the mortality rate and the conversion rate from prediabetes to diabetes decreased and the incidence rate increased. Suggestion of a detection effect was also present as the number of people tested increased while the HbA1c and the age at detection decreased. Period and birth cohort effect were also noted through a rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes across all age groups, but greater increases were observed among the younger cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a comprehensive overview of factors potentially responsible for population level changes in prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Recent increases in type 2 diabetes in New Brunswick may be attributable to a combination of some individual-level and environmental risk factors, the detection effect, the evolution of the disease and global changes.

Effect of regenerative injection therapy on function and pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized crossover study.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effectiveness of regenerative injection therapy (RIT) to relieve pain and restore function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Crossover study where participants were randomly assigned to receive exercise therapy for 32 weeks in combination with RIT on weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12 or RIT on weeks 20, 24, 28, and 32. PATIENTS: Thirty-six patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis. INTERVENTIONS: RIT, which is made up of injections of 1 cc of 15% dextrose 0.6% lidocaine in the collateral ligaments and a 5 cc injection of 20% dextrose 0.5% lidocaine inside the knee joint. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index of severity of osteoarthrosis symptoms (WOMAC) score (range: 0-96). RESULTS: Following 16 weeks of follow-up, the participants assigned to RIT presented a significant reduction of their osteoarthritis symptoms (mean ± standard deviation: -21.8 ± 12.5, P < 0.001). WOMAC scores in this group did not change further during the last 16 weeks of follow-up, when the participants received exercise therapy only (-1.2 ± 10.7, P = 0.65). WOMAC scores in the first 16 weeks did not change significantly among the participants receiving exercise therapy only during this period (-6.1±13.9, P=0.11). There was a significant decrease in this groups' WOMAC scores during the last 16 weeks when the participants received RIT (-9.3±11.4, P=0.006). After 36 weeks, WOMAC scores improved in both groups by 47.3% and 36.2%. The improvement attributable to RIT alone corresponds to a 11.9-point (or 29.5%) decrease in WOMAC scores. CONCLUSIONS: The use of RIT is associated with a marked reduction in symptoms, which was sustained for over 24 weeks.