The Effects of a Basic Psychosomatic Course on Knowledge and Practice of Family Medicine Residents

Abstract

Background: Psychosomatic medicine is a systemic model of care based on the biopsychosocial model in which the physical, emotional, and social aspects of clinical conditions are considered. Family Medicine (FM) and psychosomatic medicine have many similarities in their community-based and family-based approaches. Studies have shown the necessity and effectiveness of psychosomatic medicine training for general practitioners ‎(GPs) and family physicians. Methods: We designed a psychosomatic course for FM residents. This semi-experimental study was performed at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018. The target population included 11 FM residents. A compact 20-hour module (4 days, 5 hours each) was designed for the training. The Knowledge and Practice of Psychosomatic Medicine Questionnaire (self-administered) for the concepts and skills of psychosomatic medicine was filled out by each of the FM residents before and after the intervention. For each resident, caring for patients was monitored and a Performance Appraisal Checklist was completed by the supervisor. Finally, the questionnaire scores before and after the intervention were compared using paired t-test. Results: The total knowledge and practice score increased significantly after the intervention (258.5 ± 40.3 vs. 174.6 ± 62.9; P = 0.002). There was also a significant increase in the mean psychosomatic care performance scores after the intervention (28.65 ± 3.52) compared with baseline (21.18 ± 5.94) (P = 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that basic psychosomatic care training for family physician residents, even in short courses, can have a positive effect on their clinical knowledge and performance.