This paper reports on a study to examine the similarities and differences in experiencing an inte... more This paper reports on a study to examine the similarities and differences in experiencing an interpersonal scenario with real and virtual humans. A system that allows medical students to interview a life-size virtual patient using natural speech and gestures was used as a platform for this comparison. Study participants interviewed either a virtual patient or a standardized patient, an actor trained to represent a medical condition. Subtle yet substantial differences were found in the participants’ rapport with the patient and the flow of the conversation. The virtual patient’s limited expressiveness was a significant source of these differences. However, overall task performance was similar, as were perceptions of the educational value of the interaction.
This paper reports the assessment of student learning in a physical examination course. It report... more This paper reports the assessment of student learning in a physical examination course. It reports the degree to which the course objectives were met, student confidence, and perceived value of the course. With students on two campuses, the course was taught via live and televised lectures, a potential learning problem. Recitation strategies included presenting case studies and interpreting medical and physical findings by body system. The skills laboratory included 12-hours total contact taught on one campus by pharmacy faculty and the other campus by junior medical students. The course was evaluated by quiz scores and a knowledge/attitude survey. Three equally weighted quizzes were given to measure student knowledge. Sixty-three students completed the course and 49 students return the survey (78 percent response rate). Cronbach’s alpha for recitation items was 0.94 and 0.87 for laboratory items. On a fivepoint Likert scale, students reported that they “agree” (mean = 3.87, SD = 0.57) with their ability to use physical examination data taught in the recitation. Students report a positive evaluation (mean = 4.12, SD = 0.50) of their ability to perform the laboratory skills. Overall, students judged the course as valuable. Students reported less confidence in their overall ability to do physical examination procedures. Students reported more confidence in the junior medical students than the pharmacy faculty to teach the laboratory. No difference was found between campuses for quiz scores.
The purpose of this study was to quantify research publication productivity of family medicine de... more The purpose of this study was to quantify research publication productivity of family medicine departments in selected family medicine and interdisciplinary journals. A 5-year journal search was conducted to identify original research articles published by family medicine department faculty. Publication productivity of all departments was ranked, and regression analysis was used to identify predictors of publication productivity. The departments leading in publication productivity published more than 25 articles over the 5-year period. The number of faculty and mean dollar value of family medicine department establishment grants were the strongest predictors of publication productivity. When adjusted for departmental size, some departments were found to have high publication productivity per faculty member, even though total numbers of departmental publications were low in comparison to other departments. This study identified one way of comparing departments in terms of publication...
The prescribing of medication, whether for infections or injuries, has come under the scrutiny of... more The prescribing of medication, whether for infections or injuries, has come under the scrutiny of health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Our goal was to examine patient beliefs about the usefulness of certain classes of medications. We surveyed 244 consecutive adult patients who presented to an urban private family medicine practice in Georgia. Regardless of who paid for prescriptions (an HMO or the patient), most people in the survey would be satisfied with over-the-counter medications and reassurance (84% for upper-respiratory infection, 72% for muscle strain, 56% for diarrhea). Few differences were attributable to payment status (prepaid as opposed to fee-for-service). African Americans are less likely than whites to accept reassurance as an appropriate treatment. Patients may be more willing to accept reassurance and over-the-counter medications than is commonly believed by physicians.
Abstract Introduction Medical school educators typically have extensive knowledge in the area of ... more Abstract Introduction Medical school educators typically have extensive knowledge in the area of their professional discipline, but little or no formal training in educational theory or techniques....
Beginning medical students' beliefs about the medical profession have been well studied inter... more Beginning medical students' beliefs about the medical profession have been well studied internationally but have only been minimally studied in the United States (U.S.) recently. Up-to-date research on U.S. medical students' beliefs is warranted so educators can employ these predispositions as a baseline for curriculum and student professional development. We conducted focus groups with a first-year class (n=189) of U.S. medical students at the beginning of their academic year. In an iterative theming process, investigators worked in dyads and subsequently as a group to develop a list of preliminary themes expressed in the focus groups. Investigators individually sorted preliminary themes into similar categories. All sorted preliminary themes and categories were placed in a matrix from which final themes were derived. Investigators found eight themes for the question "Why pursue a career in medicine?" and six themes for "What makes a good doctor?". Studen...
This study's purpose was to examine attitudes of family physicians and gastroenterologists to... more This study's purpose was to examine attitudes of family physicians and gastroenterologists toward family physician performance of lower endoscopy in general practice. A mailed survey was sent to 1,563 board-certified physicians in Georgia (1,303 family physicians, 260 gastroenterologists). Respondents were asked to describe their practice of lower endoscopy procedures and colorectal (CRC) screening preferences. Fifty-one percent (801) of the surveys were returned. For CRC screening, family physicians recommend fecal occult blood testing most frequently (51.7%), while gastroenterologists recommended colonoscopy most frequently (89.5%). Most family physicians believe that family physicians should perform flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) (81.4%) and colonoscopy (CS) (71.3%). A total of 71.2% of surveyed gastroenterologists believe that family physicians should perform FS, but only a minority (4.5%) believe that family physicians should perform screening CSs. Approximately 28% (186) of f...
well-described in the literature and medical schools continue to struggle with how to teach these... more well-described in the literature and medical schools continue to struggle with how to teach these concepts effectively. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to in-vestigate the meaning of medical professionalism to medical students, residents, academic faculty and patients and to determine areas of congruence and difference. METHODS In this qualitative study we conducted 8 focus groups to discover subjects ’ beliefs, perceptions and expectations of medical professionals. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed, and themes iden-tified through an immersion ⁄ crystallisation process. Concept maps were prepared to aid understanding. RESULTS Recurring primary themes of know-ledge ⁄ technical skills, patient relationship and char-acter virtues were identified. Secondary themes were medicine as a unique profession, personal congru-ence and the importance of peer relationships. There was a shift in emphasis reflecting differing stages in the learner continuum. Although patients desired sk...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study investigated the relationship between patient satisfaction a... more BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study investigated the relationship between patient satisfaction and physicians' scores on a test of emotional intelligence. METHODS Faculty and resident physicians at a southern medical school completed the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi). Patient subjects were recruited at the conclusion of an office visit and completed a patient satisfaction survey. Spearman rank order correlations and t tests were used to examine the relationship between global, composite, and subscale scores on the EQi and patient satisfaction. Race, gender, and resident/faculty status were compared via t tests. RESULTS When patient satisfaction scores were used to dichotomize physicians into two groups, those with 100% satisfied patients and those with less than 100% satisfaction, only one subscale of EQi, "happiness," was related to higher satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest a limited relationship between physicians'scores on a test of emotiona...
The goal of this research was to understand better the perspectives held by physicians and patien... more The goal of this research was to understand better the perspectives held by physicians and patients regarding what factors determine the appropriateness of medical visits. We also wished to create a convenient measure of those perspectives. In our first study, we conducted focus groups separately composed of 22 physicians and 16 patients to determine their respective views. In our second study, a 40-item measure derived from Study 1 themes was administered to a sample of 202 patients. Study 1 identified 20 themes, collapsing into 6 dimensions. Physicians held views that some patients were manipulative when seeking medical care. Study 2 revealed factors of “Symptom Experience” and “Doctor Expertise.” The two studies revealed that the perception of medical utilization varies between patients and physicians, but both groups share many similar beliefs. Key Words: Medical Utilization, Appropriate Medical Visits, Focus Groups, and Mixed-Methods
This paper reports on a study to examine the similarities and differences in experiencing an inte... more This paper reports on a study to examine the similarities and differences in experiencing an interpersonal scenario with real and virtual humans. A system that allows medical students to interview a life-size virtual patient using natural speech and gestures was used as a platform for this comparison. Study participants interviewed either a virtual patient or a standardized patient, an actor trained to represent a medical condition. Subtle yet substantial differences were found in the participants’ rapport with the patient and the flow of the conversation. The virtual patient’s limited expressiveness was a significant source of these differences. However, overall task performance was similar, as were perceptions of the educational value of the interaction.
This paper reports the assessment of student learning in a physical examination course. It report... more This paper reports the assessment of student learning in a physical examination course. It reports the degree to which the course objectives were met, student confidence, and perceived value of the course. With students on two campuses, the course was taught via live and televised lectures, a potential learning problem. Recitation strategies included presenting case studies and interpreting medical and physical findings by body system. The skills laboratory included 12-hours total contact taught on one campus by pharmacy faculty and the other campus by junior medical students. The course was evaluated by quiz scores and a knowledge/attitude survey. Three equally weighted quizzes were given to measure student knowledge. Sixty-three students completed the course and 49 students return the survey (78 percent response rate). Cronbach’s alpha for recitation items was 0.94 and 0.87 for laboratory items. On a fivepoint Likert scale, students reported that they “agree” (mean = 3.87, SD = 0.57) with their ability to use physical examination data taught in the recitation. Students report a positive evaluation (mean = 4.12, SD = 0.50) of their ability to perform the laboratory skills. Overall, students judged the course as valuable. Students reported less confidence in their overall ability to do physical examination procedures. Students reported more confidence in the junior medical students than the pharmacy faculty to teach the laboratory. No difference was found between campuses for quiz scores.
The purpose of this study was to quantify research publication productivity of family medicine de... more The purpose of this study was to quantify research publication productivity of family medicine departments in selected family medicine and interdisciplinary journals. A 5-year journal search was conducted to identify original research articles published by family medicine department faculty. Publication productivity of all departments was ranked, and regression analysis was used to identify predictors of publication productivity. The departments leading in publication productivity published more than 25 articles over the 5-year period. The number of faculty and mean dollar value of family medicine department establishment grants were the strongest predictors of publication productivity. When adjusted for departmental size, some departments were found to have high publication productivity per faculty member, even though total numbers of departmental publications were low in comparison to other departments. This study identified one way of comparing departments in terms of publication...
The prescribing of medication, whether for infections or injuries, has come under the scrutiny of... more The prescribing of medication, whether for infections or injuries, has come under the scrutiny of health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Our goal was to examine patient beliefs about the usefulness of certain classes of medications. We surveyed 244 consecutive adult patients who presented to an urban private family medicine practice in Georgia. Regardless of who paid for prescriptions (an HMO or the patient), most people in the survey would be satisfied with over-the-counter medications and reassurance (84% for upper-respiratory infection, 72% for muscle strain, 56% for diarrhea). Few differences were attributable to payment status (prepaid as opposed to fee-for-service). African Americans are less likely than whites to accept reassurance as an appropriate treatment. Patients may be more willing to accept reassurance and over-the-counter medications than is commonly believed by physicians.
Abstract Introduction Medical school educators typically have extensive knowledge in the area of ... more Abstract Introduction Medical school educators typically have extensive knowledge in the area of their professional discipline, but little or no formal training in educational theory or techniques....
Beginning medical students' beliefs about the medical profession have been well studied inter... more Beginning medical students' beliefs about the medical profession have been well studied internationally but have only been minimally studied in the United States (U.S.) recently. Up-to-date research on U.S. medical students' beliefs is warranted so educators can employ these predispositions as a baseline for curriculum and student professional development. We conducted focus groups with a first-year class (n=189) of U.S. medical students at the beginning of their academic year. In an iterative theming process, investigators worked in dyads and subsequently as a group to develop a list of preliminary themes expressed in the focus groups. Investigators individually sorted preliminary themes into similar categories. All sorted preliminary themes and categories were placed in a matrix from which final themes were derived. Investigators found eight themes for the question "Why pursue a career in medicine?" and six themes for "What makes a good doctor?". Studen...
This study's purpose was to examine attitudes of family physicians and gastroenterologists to... more This study's purpose was to examine attitudes of family physicians and gastroenterologists toward family physician performance of lower endoscopy in general practice. A mailed survey was sent to 1,563 board-certified physicians in Georgia (1,303 family physicians, 260 gastroenterologists). Respondents were asked to describe their practice of lower endoscopy procedures and colorectal (CRC) screening preferences. Fifty-one percent (801) of the surveys were returned. For CRC screening, family physicians recommend fecal occult blood testing most frequently (51.7%), while gastroenterologists recommended colonoscopy most frequently (89.5%). Most family physicians believe that family physicians should perform flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) (81.4%) and colonoscopy (CS) (71.3%). A total of 71.2% of surveyed gastroenterologists believe that family physicians should perform FS, but only a minority (4.5%) believe that family physicians should perform screening CSs. Approximately 28% (186) of f...
well-described in the literature and medical schools continue to struggle with how to teach these... more well-described in the literature and medical schools continue to struggle with how to teach these concepts effectively. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to in-vestigate the meaning of medical professionalism to medical students, residents, academic faculty and patients and to determine areas of congruence and difference. METHODS In this qualitative study we conducted 8 focus groups to discover subjects ’ beliefs, perceptions and expectations of medical professionals. Sessions were audiotaped and transcribed, and themes iden-tified through an immersion ⁄ crystallisation process. Concept maps were prepared to aid understanding. RESULTS Recurring primary themes of know-ledge ⁄ technical skills, patient relationship and char-acter virtues were identified. Secondary themes were medicine as a unique profession, personal congru-ence and the importance of peer relationships. There was a shift in emphasis reflecting differing stages in the learner continuum. Although patients desired sk...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study investigated the relationship between patient satisfaction a... more BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study investigated the relationship between patient satisfaction and physicians' scores on a test of emotional intelligence. METHODS Faculty and resident physicians at a southern medical school completed the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi). Patient subjects were recruited at the conclusion of an office visit and completed a patient satisfaction survey. Spearman rank order correlations and t tests were used to examine the relationship between global, composite, and subscale scores on the EQi and patient satisfaction. Race, gender, and resident/faculty status were compared via t tests. RESULTS When patient satisfaction scores were used to dichotomize physicians into two groups, those with 100% satisfied patients and those with less than 100% satisfaction, only one subscale of EQi, "happiness," was related to higher satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest a limited relationship between physicians'scores on a test of emotiona...
The goal of this research was to understand better the perspectives held by physicians and patien... more The goal of this research was to understand better the perspectives held by physicians and patients regarding what factors determine the appropriateness of medical visits. We also wished to create a convenient measure of those perspectives. In our first study, we conducted focus groups separately composed of 22 physicians and 16 patients to determine their respective views. In our second study, a 40-item measure derived from Study 1 themes was administered to a sample of 202 patients. Study 1 identified 20 themes, collapsing into 6 dimensions. Physicians held views that some patients were manipulative when seeking medical care. Study 2 revealed factors of “Symptom Experience” and “Doctor Expertise.” The two studies revealed that the perception of medical utilization varies between patients and physicians, but both groups share many similar beliefs. Key Words: Medical Utilization, Appropriate Medical Visits, Focus Groups, and Mixed-Methods
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Papers by Peggy Wagner