Analysis of the application effectiveness of the geriatric comorbidity management model in general practice residency training

A BSTRACT Background: With the rising prevalence of co-morbidities among the elderly, the traditional specialty-based healthcare system can no longer meet the needs for “early prevention, timely diagnosis and treatment,” and “holistic care.” Thus, there is an urgent need to develop geriatric teaching methods for general practitioners (GPs) that enable comprehensive, community-based care for elderly patients. This study aims to integrate a geriatric comorbidity management model into general practice training and evaluate the educational outcomes for GP trainees using the Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) and case-based assessment methods. Methods: Cluster random sampling was used to select 80 GPs residents rotating in the Department of Geriatrics. After baseline assessment, the participants were divided into groups to receive either conventional teaching or training based on the geriatric comorbidity management model. Teaching outcomes were evaluated using the Mini-CEX and case analysis assessments. Results: After training with the comorbidity management model, trainees demonstrated significant improvements in both core case analysis competencies and clinical decision-making abilities. These enhancements were specifically observed across multiple dimensions, including supplementary history taking, supplementary inquiry of physical examination findings, supplementary inquiry of ancillary test results, and diagnosis and rationale. Furthermore, trainees who underwent this training model showed more favorable outcomes in terms of instructor satisfaction with student assessment and student satisfaction with the assessment process. Conclusion: Integrating the geriatric comorbidity management model into GPs can effectively enhance trainees’ multidisciplinary collaboration skills. The Mini-CEX and case-based serve as effective teaching evaluation tools, contributing to the overall improvement of teaching quality.