Medical Journals and Training in Family Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: The Vocational Training (VT) Programme is a period where Continuing Medical Education (CME) can be promoted; to plan CME activities it is important to reach a better insight into its features among doctors involved in VT. Aims: To describe the reading habits and needs of medical literature, the strategies for access to information and publishing of scientific papers among VT Trainers and Trainees in the Northern Region of Portugal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in April / May 2001 in a sample of 72 trainees and 48 trainers through a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The favourite publication was the Portuguese GP Magazine (60%); 55% of the participants had spent 1h or less in the previous week reading scientific journals. The trainers declared having spent more time than trainees in the reading of scientific articles. Revision papers are read more often and by a bigger amount of participants than original studies. About 94% of participants had access to a personal computer; 85% could access the Internet. Trainees have significantly more use of Internet than Trainers. Only 1/4 of the participants had ever published a scientific paper; 53% of these were research papers. Trainers published more than trainees. Discussion: Reading habits seam to derive mostly from the participants training needs. Trainees seem to be more at ease with the Internet. Trainers, having had more opportunities, have published more. The participants used less time in the reading of medical publications than was found in other papers.