Knowledge, Competencies and Attitudes Regarding External Post-mortem Physical Examination: A Survey Among German Post-graduate Trainees in General Practice

Overview

Journal Eur J Gen Pract

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty Public Health

Date 2017 Nov 24

PMID 29168414

Citations 3

Authors

Jan Valentini

Katja Goetz

Kathrin Yen

Joachim Szecsenyi

Andrea Dettling

Stefanie Joos

Jost Steinhaeuser

Elisabeth Flum

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The external post-mortem examination (EPME) is an important medical, legal and socio-economic task with far-reaching relevance; however, due to discrepancies between findings from EPMEs and actual cause of death, improvements in accuracy and quality are needed.

Objectives: To investigate knowledge, competencies and attitudes regarding EPME in general practitioner (GP) post-graduate trainees.

Methods: Before four post-graduate training courses on the EPME for general practitioner trainees, organized in 2014 in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, a questionnaire on the EPME was distributed by the lecturer, completed by the GP post-graduate trainees and returned to the lecturer. The questionnaire consisted of 19 items related to three main categories: knowledge, competencies and attitudes.

Results: Out of 380 GP post-graduate trainees, 128 completed and returned the questionnaire (response rate 33.7%). Less than 18% felt adequately confident in identifying a natural cause of death and less than 5% felt adequately confident in identifying an unnatural cause of death. Only 33% consistently fully uncover the corpse for the EPME.

Conclusion: We found an important uncertainty in GP post-graduate trainees regarding their EPME knowledge and competencies.

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