[Laboratory examinations performed in rural practice].
Graduates from Jichi Medical School are obligated to work at rural clinics or hospitals, where most of them are the only medical doctor in the house. To understand how these graduates actually use laboratory examinations, what examinations they found most important in their practice, and when they were confident of their laboratory techniques, we designed a questionnaire to address these questions. Many respondents reported that their institutions had electrocardiographs, abdominal and/or cardiac ultrasonographs, urinalysis test paper, and portable blood glucose meters, and more than half of them reported having used these instruments without assistance in emergency situations. Moreover, a majority of the respondents said that they considered it important that a physician is able to use these instruments without the help of other staff members. Proficiency in many laboratory techniques was obtained and physicians were confident during their first postgraduate clinical practice. These responses clearly show the importance and usefulness of covering examination techniques and the principles of laboratory medicine in medical education and the first postgraduate clinical practice.
Kawano
Mikihiko
M
Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Kawachi-gun, Tochigi-pref. 329-0489.
Kubo
Nobuhiko
N
Taniguchi
Nobuyuki
N
Oohara
Tomoko
T
Nakamura
Michiru
M
Shibuya
Yasuhiro
Y
Omoto
Kiyoka
K
Shigeta
Ko-ichirou
K
Ono
Tomoko
T
Koibuchi
Harumi
H
Itoh
Ko-ichi
K
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science / Q000193:education*; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000193:education*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D019035:Rural Health Services; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires