Enhancing procedural training in a family practice residency.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Teaching outpatient procedures is a major responsibility of family practice residencies. This requires equipment, faculty expertise, and curricula. This report documents one residency program's attempt to enhance the teaching of outpatient procedures. METHODS: We tabulated all office procedures completed during the years 1993 through 1996 at a family practice residency program in the southeastern United States. We compared the number of procedures and dollar charges before and during an educational intervention designed to increase the number of procedures performed and to improve procedural training of residents. The intervention consisted of hiring a full-time procedural nurse and new procedural equipment. RESULTS: The residency program spent $177,000 over 4 years to improve procedural training, but income from procedures was estimated to be only $127,000. From 1993 to 1996, the total number of annual procedures increased from 322 to 540. Both the number of procedures and procedural income declined in the final year of the project when the procedural nurse assumed other clinical and administrative duties. CONCLUSIONS: Volume and teaching of common procedures in a family practice residency program can be enhanced by a dedicated effort, but this effort requires considerable staffing and financial resources.