A novel model of ambulatory teaching of residents in general practice in China: a cross-sectional study

This study aims to determine the satisfaction and future training needs of general practice residents participating in a novel model of ambulatory teaching aligned with the specifications for standardized residency training in outpatient management issued by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA).

A cross-sectional survey of the satisfaction and training needs was conducted among general practice residents at West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Patient characteristics and preceptors’ feedback on the residents’ performance were also analyzed.

The study involved 109 residents (30.28% men) and 161 patients (34.78% men; age: 52.63 ± 15.87 years). Residents reported an overall satisfaction score of 4.28 ± 0.62 with the ambulatory teaching program. Notably, residents scored lower in the Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan (SOAP) evaluation when encountering patients with the greater the number of medical problems (P < 0.001). Residents encountering patients with a shorter duration of illness (< 3 months) achieved higher scores than those with longer illness durations (≥ 3 months, P = 0.044). Residency general practitioners (GPs) were most challenged by applying appropriate and effective patient referrals (43/109; 39.45%). GPs expressed a strong desire to learn how to make decisions when facing challenging patient situations (4.51 ± 0.63).

This study suggests selecting patients with multiple comorbidities for ambulatory teaching and enhancing training on practical problem-solving abilities for GPs. The findings provide insights for the development of future ambulatory teaching programs.