Teaching Rheumatology in the undergraduate: It is enough?

Abstract

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are the second leading cause of disability worldwide. There are difficulties in the early diagnosis and therapeutic approach to these pathologies, with a negative impact on their outcomes. Access to rheumatology is limited, with a low supply in the face of growing demand, which makes the general practitioner the first contact for care. Objectives: Describe the perception and confidence that general practitioners have regarding the training in rheumatology received at undergraduate level. Materials and methods: Observational cross-sectional study, with a Likert-type survey tool being used. The study included general practitioners graduated from the Colombian Medicine program between 2009 and 2019. The variables studied were those related to the curriculum, acquired knowledge or skills, and proficiency in content in rheumatology compared to practice. Subjects who attended a specialist or who had an employment relationship with a specialist rheumatology centre were excluded. Results and conclusions: A total of 102 physicians were surveyed, and 86 completed questionnaires were included in the final analysis. Of these, 83.4% were graduates of private universities. Over two-thirds (37%9) had a formal subject in rheumatology, 16% received training with specific strategies, 54% expressed security when performing the ME physical examination, and 47% were safe in the diagnostic approach, and prescription of disease-modifying drugs. In order to strengthen the training in rheumatology required by the undergraduate, a joint effort is required with the medical schools in defining the competencies and skills of the primary care physician, together with the health needs and available educational strategies. © 2021 Asociación Colombiana de Reumatología