title: A family medicine training program in the Republic of Georgia: incorporating a model of chronic disease management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study describes a different approach to increase the number of family medicine physicians trained with specific competencies in the management of chronic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1999 the Republic of Georgia initiated an ambitious program designed to retrain practicing physicians in the specialty of family medicine. At 2 of the implementation sites, the Center for International Health worked with local health authorities to augment the official 940-hour curriculum to include lesson plans, workshops, and practicum experiences emphasizing a model of chronic disease management, giving particular attention to hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The population served by the training sites has benefited in a cost-effective manner by achieving blood pressure control for as little as $8 per year per patient; the physician learners have performed above their peer group on standardized national testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family medicine training programs in resource-poor settings can incorporate chronic disease management models into their curriculum and achieve high-quality patient care outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Columbia St. Mary's Family Practice Residency Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53212, USA. jsanders@mcw.edu
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003479:Curriculum; D019468:Disease Management; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D005846:Georgia (Republic); D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017145:Models, Educational; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation