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Musculoskeletal Women's Health Education in Physiatry: A Mismatch in Residency Education and Clinical Practice
Author(s) -
Bennis Stacey,
Rho Monica
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
pmandr
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.617
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1934-1563
pISSN - 1934-1482
DOI - 10.1002/pmrj.12140
Subject(s) - accreditation , graduate medical education , subspecialty , medicine , curriculum , family medicine , medical education , physical therapy , psychology , pedagogy
Background Musculoskeletal Women's Health (MSK WH) is a niche subspecialty within physical medicine & rehabilitation (PM&R). Women make up 50.7% of the population of the United States but are burdened with higher rates of musculoskeletal disease compared to men. MSK WH topics are not included in PM&R or Primary Care Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) program requirements. Given the comprehensive training provided in PM&R, physiatrists are ideal candidates to diagnose, treat, and provide education on MSK WH conditions. Objective To identify the prevalence of formalized MSK WH education and of WH physiatrists at ACGME‐accredited PM&R residency programs. Design Cross‐sectional survey design. Setting Computer‐based survey. Participants ACGME‐accredited residency programs (N = 86; as of February 2017). Methods A single, multiple choice, computer‐generated Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) survey with branching logic was sent to all ACGME‐accredited PM&R residency programs (N = 86). Outcomes The primary outcome was to assess the prevalence of women's health curricula at ACGME‐accredited PM&R residency programs in the United States. The secondary outcome was to assess the prevalence of WH physiatrists at these programs. Results Eighty‐six ACGME‐accredited PM&R residency programs were contacted with 55 completed responses (64% response rate). Only six programs (11%) reported the presence of a formal WH curriculum at their residency program. In contrast, 25 programs (45%) reported having WH physiatrists at their institutions, and 36 programs (65%) reported that general physiatrists were providing WH‐related care. Conclusions The study findings identify a mismatch between the prevalence of MSK WH residency education (11% of programs) and the prevalence of physiatrists providing MSK WH care (66% of programs). Physiatrists are ideally suited to manage MSK WH care. Based on the findings of this cross‐sectional study, residency programs and governing bodies should evaluate these trends and consider the addition of topics pertinent to women's musculoskeletal health into PM&R graduate medical education. Level of Evidence III.