The purpose of this study was to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of an educational program in family medicine for general practitioners in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2011. A continuing medical education program called Family Medicine Education (FAME) was developed with 7 modules each consisting of 12-14 hours of teaching to be delivered in 3 day blocks, over 45 days. Twenty percent (2,761) of all general practitioners participated in the FAME program. Initial assessment of the program showed significant improvement of knowledge from scores of 49% on a pre-test to 89% on post-tests. FAME program in Saudi Arabia facilitated primary care physicians' knowledge.
Education ; Education, Medical, Continuing* ; General Practitioners ; Humans ; Primary Health Care* ; Saudi Arabia*

Shared decisions, in which physicians and patients share their agendas and make clinical decisions together, are optimal for patient-centered care. Shared decision-making (SDM) training in family medicine residency is always provided, but the best training approach for improving clinical practice is unclear. This review aims to identify the scope of the literature on SDM training in family medicine residency to better understand the opportunities for training in this area. Four databases (Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched from their inception to November 2022. The search was limited to English language and text words for the following four components: (1) family medicine, (2) residency, (3) SDM, and (4) training. Of the 522 unique articles, six studies were included for data extraction and synthesis. Four studies referenced three training programs that included SDM and disease- or condition-specific issues. These programs showed positive effects on family medicine residents’ knowledge, skills, and willingness to engage in SDM. Two studies outlined the requirements for SDM training in postgraduate medical education at the national level, and detailed the educational needs of family medicine residents. Purposeful SDM training during family medicine residency improves residents’ knowledge, skills, and willingness to engage in SDM. Future studies should explore the effects of SDM training on clinical practice and patient care.