A family medicine training program in the Republic of Georgia: incorporating a model of chronic disease management.
other · Level V
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study describes a different approach to increase the number of family medicine physicians trained with specific competencies in the management of chronic disease. METHODS: In 1999 the Republic of Georgia initiated an ambitious program designed to retrain practicing physicians in the specialty of family medicine. At 2 of the implementation sites, the Center for International Health worked with local health authorities to augment the official 940-hour curriculum to include lesson plans, workshops, and practicum experiences emphasizing a model of chronic disease management, giving particular attention to hypertension. RESULTS: The population served by the training sites has benefited in a cost-effective manner by achieving blood pressure control for as little as $8 per year per patient; the physician learners have performed above their peer group on standardized national testing. CONCLUSION: Family medicine training programs in resource-poor settings can incorporate chronic disease management models into their curriculum and achieve high-quality patient care outcomes.