[Michael Balint anno 2017].

Michael Balint has influenced the development of post-war general practice significantly with a focus on the doctor-patient relationship. He was born in Budapest, became a doctor and a psychoanalyst and was concerned with, how psychotherapy could be integrated in medicine. In 1939, he emigrated to the United Kingdom and started group sessions with general practitioners, training them in dealing with psychological conditions in the general practice consultation, as described in his book "The doctor, his patient and the illness". The method has become widespread and is still relevant for health professionals.

Witnesses in the consultation room - Experiences of peer group supervision.

BACKGROUND: In Denmark group supervision for general practitioners is an established part of continuing professional development. Several different approaches are used, including Balint Groups and Bendix Groups. The aim of this paper is to describe the benefits and challenges of a peer group supervision model with the role of supervisor taken by group members in turn. The setting was a group of general practitioners using a patient-centred consultation model and video-recordings of consultations. METHODS AND MATERIAL: As part of a larger study the first author studied this long-established group by observing three group sessions over a period of six months. She conducted two individual, semi-structured interviews with each general practitioner who presented consultations at the observed sessions, and held a group interview with the entire group at the end of the observation period. The interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. The data were analysed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Participation seemed to improve communication skills and the ability to take a more patient-centred approach. It increased job satisfaction and prevented burnout. A non-judgemental environment, respect and acknowledgement of all participants were important for developing confidence and for supporting personal and professional development.

Group supervision in general practice as part of continuing professional development.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to explore the current use of supervision groups and the value of such groups for today's Danish general practitioners (GPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to a representative sample comprising 10% of GPs registered with the Organisation of General Practitioners in Denmark. RESULTS: More than 60% of Danish GPs have participated in a supervision group, more females than males (p < 0.001), at some time in their career. About a third is currently participating. The supervision activity is perceived as being formative and restorative. The main benefit from supervision was the training of communicative skills which allowed the GPs to better understand difficult patients while achieving an increase in their job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: A majority of Danish GPs have participated in a supervision group at some time. The activity is perceived as being formative and restorative. Participation is significantly more prevalent among female GPs than among male GPs. Future research is required to show how participation influences professional development; how participating in supervision groups contributes to prevention of burnout; and how the needs of males and females differ. FUNDING: This project was supported by the Committee of Multipractice Studies in General Practice and Foundation for Education and Development in General Practice (PLU). TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not relevant.

Preventing burnout among general practitioners: is there a possible route?

Stress and burnout among general practitioners (GPs) is a serious problem. Some authors suggest supervision groups or Balint groups as a means of preventing burnout and others address how to treat the condition. This paper reports a case study of a supervision group for Danish GPs which, as well as training reflective practice, focuses specifically on the prevention of burnout. The concept of compassion fatigue is extended to cover the circumstances reported by some practitioners in supervision.