Fostering specialist training in General Practice – evaluation of the centers of competence in specialist training in Saxony-Anhalt

Torben Ibs, Christiane Henckel, Andreas Klement, Thomas Frese

Keywords: professional training,

Background:
Since 2017 in Germany the specialist training of future General practitioners (GP) was reorganized by means of the implementation of centers of competence for GP-training (CCGP). This study evaluates for the state of Saxony-Anhalt its two implemented centers and the impact of their activities on the young professionals as well as acceptance and relevance of offered formats.

Research questions:
1. Quantitative usage of educational and mentoring formats by trainees
2. Evaluation of acceptance, quality and importance of different mean for the fostering activities by trainees.

Method:
We´ve send a pretested quantitative standardized questionnaire containing five complexes of questions (with six items each using four-point-Likert-scales plus sociodemographic data set) to all of the 270 future GP´s in specialist training in Saxony-Anhalt as an online-survey in July 2021. We´re expecting results by end of August 2021.

Results:
Our hypothesis‘ are: First, we expect the perceived importance of the seminars is rising during the duration of the specialist training, since the seminars prepares for the final specialist-colloquium. Second, we expect that importance of services such as rotation-management will show higher importance for trainees in their first years of training. Third, for the formats of mentoring and meetings with preceptors we expect that as well that the introduction to professional field via mentor is a more important issue in the beginning of the specialist training.

Conclusions:
This study will determine if the GP-trainees are satisfied with the offers and aiding formats CCGP´s in Saxony-Anhalt and with which of its components for certain subgroups of trainees. This is not only important to know to improve regional programs but also for the development of an uniform evaluation scheme for all CCGP´s in Germany, which need to justify their activities to secure future funding.

Points for discussion:
How can specialist training of future General practitioners be more attractive for the trainees in their different stages of training?