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Introduction: Many medical schools overestimate the percentage of their graduates who enter the primary care workforce based on the "first-certificate" residency their graduates enter. To rectify this problem, Deutchman and colleagues proposed a new method of estimation. The objective of this study was to compare results from the traditional residency match and Deutchman methods to the actual percentage of University of Kansas School of Medicine (KUSM) graduates who practice primary care after completing medical school and all residency and subspeciality fellowship training., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using a convenience sample of KUSM graduates from 2003-2014. Percentages of graduates classified as primary care by the traditional Residency Match Primary Care Method (RMPCM) and the percentages of graduates identified as primary care by Deutchman's Intent to Practice Primary Care Method (IPPCM) were compared with the actual percentage of graduates who eventually entered the primary care workforce., Results: Of the 1,944 KUSM graduates identified during the study period, the RMPCM predicted a 48.1% primary care output rate. The Deutchman's IPPCM predicted a 22.8% primary care output rate. The actual known percentage of graduates practicing primary care was 34.2%., Conclusions: Neither the RMPCM nor the Deutchman's IPPCM performed well in predicting the percentage or number of KUSM graduates who eventually practiced primary care. Due to predictions for the shortage of primary care physicians, there is a need to identify a method that more accurately predicts the medical schools' contribution to the primary care workforce., (© 2022 The University of Kansas Medical Center.)

Introduction: Given the recent reports of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) and harm of e-cigarettes, the authors evaluated changes in the use and perception of e-cigarettes as tobacco use cessation tools in 2019 relative to 2016. The authors also evaluated the sources family physicians most commonly use to receive information regarding e-cigarettes., Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of 248 community family physicians in Kansas was conducted from October 2019 to December 2019. An 11-item questionnaire measured the participants' perceptions of recommending e-cigarettes to patients for tobacco cessation. A mixed method approach was used to collect, analyze, and interpret the data. Standard descriptive statistics, Likelihood-Ratio/Fisher's exact tests, and immersion-crystallization methods were used to analyze the data., Results: The response rate was 59.3% (147/248). The proportion of the family physicians who did not recommend e-cigarettes for tobacco use cessation was significantly higher in 2019 than in 2016 (86% vs. 82%; χ 2 [1, n = 261] = 12.31; p < 0.01). Several reasons regarding respondents' perceptions of e-cigarettes as tobacco use cessation tools were reported. The medical literature and news media were the top sources where family physicians accessed e-cigarettes information., Conclusion: Most family physicians did not recommend e-cigarettes for tobacco cessation. Opinions regarding the efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes were influenced by information sources. Future, larger studies would be beneficial to further determine family physicians' beliefs and practices regarding e-cigarettes as tobacco use cessation products., (© 2020 The University of Kansas Medical Center.)

Introduction: Loneliness has been linked to clinician burnout and other types of emotional distress. Research assessing the prevalence of loneliness among physicians is growing. Little is known, however, about how loneliness relates to other types of emotional distress among practicing physicians. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of loneliness, and to explore the relationship between loneliness, burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among active member physicians of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County (MSSC)., Methods: The study involved a convenience sample of 197 practicing physicians who were active members of the MSSC. The 3-item University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, and 2-item Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire were used to measure prevalence of loneliness, manifestations of burnout, and symptoms of depression, respectively., Results: Using an email survey, 442 practicing physicians received an invitation to participate; 197 (44%) completed the survey. The prevalence of loneliness was 43%. Loneliness prevalence was associated positively with age (p = 0.017) and more likely in those who reported manifestations of burnout (p < 0.01) or screened positive for depression (p < 0.01). Depression (OR = 2.24; 95% CI, 0.97-5.19) and emotional exhaustion (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.39-2.84) were significantly associated with loneliness, including when adjusted for participants' sex, age, and duty hours., Conclusion: Loneliness is prevalent among active member physicians of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. Given that loneliness is associated with burnout and other emotional distress, there is an important need to understand its implications better., (© 2020 The University of Kansas Medical Center.)

Introduction: Missed outpatient appointments are a common problem for academic residency clinics, and reducing their rate improves office efficiency, income, and resident education. Identifying specific reasons why some patients miss outpatient appointments may provide insight into developing targeted approaches to reducing their rates. This study sought to find reasons associated with patients' missed appointments at two family medicine residency clinics., Methods: The study utilized a qualitative research design involving patients at two urban, university-affiliated family medicine residency outpatient clinics. Twenty-five randomly selected patients who were dismissed from the clinics for missing three or more scheduled appointments during a five-year span (July 2012 to July 2017) were interviewed over the phone about reasons they did not keep their scheduled clinic appointments. The authors, individually and as a group, used an immersion-crystalization approach to analyze the content of the interviews., Results: Responses from 25 participants (21 females and four males) are presented. Fifty-two percent of patients were Caucasian, 32% Black, 12% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. Five themes emerged from the data analysis as major reasons the patients missed their scheduled outpatient appointments: forgetfulness, transportation issues, personal health issues, family and employer obligations, and other issues, such as anticipated long clinic wait times, bad weather, and financial problems., Conclusions: The findings showed there are several logistical, situational, and clinical reasons for patients' missed scheduled outpatient appointments.

Introduction: The medical literature suggests disturbingly high rates of burnout among US physicians. The objective of this study was to determine the rates of burnout, other forms of distress, and overall quality of life among physicians in Sedgwick County., Methods: The study involved a convenience sample of 197 physicians who were active member physicians of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County (MSSC). Between July and August 2018, we surveyed 872 physicians who were active members of the MSSC. The survey assessed manifestations of burnout, symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation, fatigue, and quality of life. The authors used standard descriptive summary statistics, Mann-Whitney U test/independent samples t -Test, Fisher's exact test, and correlations to analyze the data., Results: The participation rate was 44.6%, with 49.5% of the respondents reporting manifestations of burnout. Although 85% of the participants rated their overall quality of life as good/very good, 45% screened positive for depression, 5% had thoughts of suicide during the past year, and 44% reported excessive fatigue during the past week. Those with manifestations of burnout were 2.13 (100% vs 46.9%, p < 0.01) times more likely to report thoughts of suicidal ideation, 2.43 (72.6% vs 30.4%; p < 0.001) times more likely to screen positive for depression, and 1.89 (67.5% vs 35.8%; p < 0.001) times more likely to have high degrees of fatigue. All of the participants who had suicidal ideation reported manifestations of burnout., Conclusions: Burnout was prevalent among active member physicians of the MSSC. Burnout among the participants was associated with symptoms of depression, fatigue, suicidal ideation, and intention of leaving the medical profession via early retirement and/or career change.

Introduction: This study explored the prevalence of and the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout among obstetrics and gynecology residency program coordinators., Methods: This cross-sectional study involved members of the American Program Managers of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Spector's Job Satisfaction Survey were used to measure the participants' burnout and job satisfaction rates respectively. Data were collected between August 2017 and December 2017. The authors used Fisher's exact tests, Spearman's r correlations, and multiple linear regression to analyze the data., Results: There was an 83% (171/207) response rate. Thirteen percent of the coordinators reported high, 70% moderate, and 17% low job satisfaction scores. Thirty-nine percent of the coordinators reported high, 25% moderate, and 36% slight work-related burnout rates. Correlation coefficient showed a significantly negative relationship between job satisfaction and work-rated burnout, ( r s [169] = -0.402, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed co-workers (β = -0.47) and supervision (β = -0.16) domains of the job satisfaction scale were significant predictors of work-related burnout ( R = 0.55; F [5, 195] = 11.05; p < .001)., Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of job satisfaction factors, such as support from coworkers and supervisors, in dealing with work-related burnout among residency coordinators.

Introduction: Kansas has a regionalized trauma system with formal mechanisms for review, however, increased communication with rural providers can uncover opportunities for system process improvement. Therefore, this qualitative study explored perceptions of family medicine physicians staffing emergency departments (ED) in rural areas, specifically to determine what is going well and what areas needed improvement in relation to the trauma system., Methods: A focus group included Kansas rural family physicians recruited from a local symposium for family medicine physicians. Demographic information was collected via survey prior to the focus group session, which was audiotaped. Research team members read the transcription, identified themes, and grouped the findings into categories for analysis., Results: Seven rural family medicine physicians participated in the focus group. The majority were male (71%) with the mean age 46.71 years. All saw patients in the ED and had treated injuries due to agriculture, falls, and motor vehicle collisions. Participants identified successes in the adoption and enforcement of standardized processes, specifically through level IV trauma center certification and staff requirements for Advanced Trauma Life Support training. Communication breakdown during patient discharge and skill maintenance were the most prevalent challenges., Conclusions: Even with an established regionalized trauma system in the state of Kansas, there continues to be opportunities for improvement. The challenges acknowledged by focus group participants may not be identified through patient case reviews (if conducted), therefore tertiary centers should conduct system reviews with referring hospitals regularly to improve systemic concerns.