title: Physician office laboratory education and training in primary care residency programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the status of office laboratory residency education and training in family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatric residency programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single mailed survey to 1299 residency programs from December 1992 to February 1993.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary care residency directors from 507 (39%) of 1299 programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 27-item survey of residency-based office laboratory practices, education, training, and resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Differences between specialties in provision and quantity of office laboratory education and training, presence of a residency-based office laboratory, laboratory classification under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, and available laboratory tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those responding, office laboratories were present in 89% of family practice, 19% of internal medicine, 29% of obstetrics and gynecology, and 24% of pediatrics residency programs. Laboratory training was available at 60% of family practice, 16% of internal medicine, 15% of obstetrics and gynecology, and 30% of pediatrics programs. The median number of hours of formal skills training was 10 hours for family practice residency programs but less than 2 hours for the other specialties. Only 25% of the programs reported educational assistance from pathologists. Merely 4% of the programs had postassessment examinations and 2% awarded certificates of achievement. A majority of family practice programs performed waivered tests and physician-performed microscopy tests, but moderately complex tests were performed in less than 50% of family practice programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family practice residency programs provide more office laboratory training for residents than other specialties. There is a need for improved residency training in the basics of office laboratory practice.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta.
authors: D G
authors: DG
authors: Ferris
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Hamrick
authors: P G
authors: PG
authors: Pollock
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Stinson
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Crenshaw
authors: E F
authors: EF
authors: Wahl
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Koenig
authors: P M
authors: PM
authors: Fischer
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Kroger
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007753:Laboratories / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D010824:Physicians' Offices; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States