Tele-education by an orthopedic specialist increased the confidence in orthopedics of a general practitioner at a rural solo-practice clinic

Takashi AKIMOTO; Tadashi KOBAYASHI; Hiroki MAITA; Takahiro HIRANO

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Tele-education by an orthopedic specialist increased the confidence in orthopedics of a general practitioner at a rural solo-practice clinic

VernacularTitle:Tele-education by an orthopedic specialist increased the confidence in orthopedics of a general practitioner at a rural solo-practice clinic
Author: Takashi AKIMOTO ¹ ; Tadashi KOBAYASHI ¹ ; Hiroki MAITA ² ; Takahiro HIRANO ³
Author Information

1. Department of General Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine and Hospital, Japan
2. Development of Community Healthcare, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
3. General Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
Keywords: confidence level; orthopedics; telehealth
From:Journal of Rural Medicine 2024;19(1):40-43
CountryJapan
Language:English
Abstract: Objective: General practitioners in rural clinics are required to deal with musculoskeletal problems, but they often lack the confidence. We aim to confirm changes in their confidence in orthopedic practices after using tele-education.Materials and Methods: We conducted tele-education in orthopedic practices from June 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022. Using a teleconference system, the first author, an orthopedic specialist, provided tele-education training to an independent general practitioner in a rural clinic. We adopted a 7-point Likert scale to assess the general practitioner’s confidence levels. In pre- and post-research, the counts and confidence levels in the scale were assessed for 18 types of orthopedic practices each month. Furthermore, we interviewed the general practitioner to examine the factors influencing their confidence.Results: The confidence levels increased for all measurement items. The most experienced orthopedic practice was “Advising on daily care for musculoskeletal problems”, with confidence levels increasing from 3 to 6. The least experienced orthopedic practice was “Manipulative reduction of radial head subluxation”, with confidence levels increasing from 4 to 5. The factors that influenced the change in confidence levels were regular feedback and unrestricted availability of consultations.Conclusion: Tele-education in orthopedics may enhance general practitioners’ confidence in orthopedic practices.