[Opinion of university professors on the suitability of specific primary care training in medical students].

OBJECTIVE

To find the opinion of teachers at the University of Alicante about the appropriateness of a Primary Care Theory-Practice programme within the Medicine curriculum.

DESIGN

A descriptive observation study of a crossover nature.

SETTING

Teachers of the Departments of Medicine and Public Health who had had contact with the Primary Care Theory-Practice programme.

PARTICIPANTS

44 out of 71 teachers (62%) replied.

INTERVENTION

An 11-question survey was answered anonymously between October 1993 and June 1994.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

77.3% (95% Confidence Interval 64.9-89.7%) considered appropriate the theoretical content at undergraduate level, where there was an average 18.5 hours teaching (C.I. 15.8-21.2); and 95.5% (C.I.89.4-100%), the practicals at a Health Centre, where there was an average 65.2 hours (C.I. 43.1-87.3) work. 43.9% thought it was appropriate to form a separate subject and 39% favored integrating these themes into other subjects. Theoretical contents would be basically teaching general information about Primary Care; and practical work would be clinical activities. The greatest advantages regarding carrying out practical work in Health Centres were: the student finds pathology more prevalent and learns to provide practical answers. The greatest disadvantages were: the low methodological knowledge and teaching preparation of the Teams.

CONCLUSIONS

Those interviewed considered that the teaching at undergraduate level of a Primary Care subject with theoretical-practical content would be useful. The advantages, its contents and some difficulties were noted.