An assessment of the usefulness of the behavioral science and counseling knowledge and skills in the clinical practice of graduates of a family and community medicine residency training program / 
Raymund Laiz, Allan Dionisio 
<br/><br/> Design: Descriptive study Subjects: Included in the study were 54 graduates from 1991-1997, presently in clinical practice and with available mailing address or contact number, whether in the Philippines or abroad.<br/>Main Outcome Measures: Frequency of use of the knowledge and skills; assessment of value of each knowledge and skill based on a 1-4 scale; association of socio-demographic profile with the use of the knowledge and skills using Chi-square analysis; effects of using the knowledge and skills in clinical practice.<br/><br/>Methods: Subjects were made to answer a 5-item self-administered questionnaire. First item determined the use of the knowledge and skills in general, answered by yes or no. Second item, in checklist form, determined the most frequently used knowledge and skill in the form of a 5-point Likert scale. Third item determined the value of each knowledge and skill based on a 1-4 scale assessment. The fourth and fifth items were open-ended questions determining the effects of using the knowledge and skills in clinical practice and suggestions on how to improve the present counseling program. Items 1-3 were coded and analyzed using SPSS. Content analysis was done for items 4-5. A focus group discussion was later held and the key points obtained were then compared to the key points obtained from the questionnaire.<br/><br/>Results: Thirty-three out of the 54 graduates returned the questionnaire for a 61 percent response rate. 100 percent of respondents use the knowledge and skills in their clinical practice. The most frequently used skill is the active listening skills while the most frequently used knowledge is the Family Life Cycle theory. The active listening skills were assessed to be very valuable and should form part of the core knowledge and skill of a family physician. Other knowledge and skills were assessed as valuable but only in specific cases. No association was found between the sociodemographic profile and the frequency of use of the knowledge and skills at a=.01. The use of the knowledge and skills had positive effects in the clinical practice of graduates as exemplified by establishing a better doctor-patient relationship, improved communication skills, distinguishing themselves from other medical practitioners, and making their practice a fulfilling one. Suggestions on how to improve the counseling program included producing materials for reference in counseling, holding of review sessions or workshops in counseling, adding more consultants to guide the residents during training, opening the counseling program to other institutions, and conducting more hands-on training using the other techniques in counseling.<br/><br/>Conclusion: The knowledge and skills in the behavioral sciences and counseling are useful in the clinical practice of graduates of the DFCM residency training program. The use of these knowledge and skills had positive effects in their clinical practice. No association was found between the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and the frequency of use of these knowledge and skills.<br/><br/>Objectives<br/>To assess the usefulness of the behavioral science and counseling knowledge and skills in terms of frequency of application and assessed value based on a 1-4 scale in the clinical practice of graduates of a DFCM residency training program from 1991-1997. 
<br/><br/><br/>The Filipino Family Physician,  2004 38 ( 4 ) p ages 91-102 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Behavioral Sciences<br/>Counseling<br/>Practice Patterns, Physicians'<br/>Community Medicine<br/>Internship and Residency<br/>Program Evaluation
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Index Terms: </label>Family Medicine