title: Effect of a short skills training course on competence and performance in general practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the efficacy of a short course of technical clinical skills to change performance in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were self-selected general practitioners (n=59) who were unaware of the study design. They were assigned to the intervention group (n=31) or control group (n=28) according to their preference for course date. The course covered four different technical clinical skills (shoulder injection technique, PAP-smear, laboratory examination of vaginal discharge, ophthalmoscopic control in diabetes mellitus). Main outcome measures used were pre- and post-training scores on a knowledge test of skills (60 multiple choice items), and pre- and post-training performance of procedures in practice using a log-diary covering 20 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-selected general practitioners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Competence, as measured by the knowledge test of skills, improved significantly as a result of the training and skills test scores were satisfactory after training. A significant effect on performance in practice was found for PAP-smear and shoulder injection technique, whereas no effect could be demonstrated for examination of vaginal discharge and ophthalmoscopic control in diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A good degree of competence is a necessary but not always sufficient condition for a physician to change his performance in practice. While some skills training seems adequate to bring about desired changes, for other skills more complex interventions are probably needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Grol
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Van Der Vleuten
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Scherpbier
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Crebolder
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rethans
mesh_terms: D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D011361:Professional Competence