The effects of a joint vocational training programme for general practitioner and occupational health trainees

Abstract

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) and occupational health physicians (OHPs) would like to improve their collaboration. This could be achieved through a joint vocational training programme. OBJECTIVE: To assess the social-psychological effects of a joint training programme for GP and OHP trainees for the improvement of interprofessional collaboration. METHODS: Questionnaires taken before, immediately after and 3 months after a 4-day joint training programme; interviews 18 months after completing the training programme. SETTING: Erasmus Medical Centre, department of general practice (ErasmusMC afdeling Huisartsgeneeskunde) in collaboration with the Netherlands School of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 34 GP and 20 OHP trainees following a joint training programme. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Social-psychological variables (relative position, occupational identification, dependence, trust), evaluation of the contacts, influence of contact on medical policy, frequency of contacts, knowledge of guidelines for exchange of information. RESULTS QUESTIONNAIRES: GP and OHP trainees' knowledge of the guidelines for exchange of information increased. GP trainees' trust increased immediately after the training programme; 3 months later this effect disappeared. INTERVIEWS: The course helped GPs to overcome prejudices against OHPs. CONCLUSION: This type of training programme may be effective for increasing trust, but the results do not show a long-term effect. Knowledge about the guidelines for exchange of information increased and remained for a longer period. Educational expertise should be used to improve programmes, especially on social-psychological attitudes (such as trust) and behaviour.