Un Progetto sperimentale di supervisione-coaching nel contesto della formazione/lavoro in medicina generale: comunicazione preliminare

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Introduction
Given the nationwide shortage of general practitioners, physicians attending the three-year
Course of General Practice were given the possibility to begin professional activity without a
prior internship, equating it to internship.
The Trento School of General Practice, with the intention of favouring a gradual transition
from training to work, identified supervision and coaching as a possible alternative to
tutorship, and in the absence of structured supervisory experiences at a national level,
decided to launch an experimental project, training a new figure of supervisor that responds
to the needs of the current training in the field context.
Three functions of this figure were identified: 1) coaching (stimulating and enhancing work
autonomy and growth), 2) counselling and 3) evaluation of the trainee doctor.

Methods and tools
A group of experienced general practitioners attended a specially designed 12-hour course
and subsequently followed a trainee doctor.
In parallel, the ‘community of practice’ of the supervisor-coaches (SC) was activated in order
to share experiences and reflect on the new role assumed.
The evaluation of the experience was carried out through the administration of satisfaction
questionnaires and project work.
Results
The analysis of the questionnaires administered and the project works indicates that there
was an improvement in the participants’ ability to interpret the role of SC and an improvement
in specific skills.
Discussion
The SC is a useful response to the complexity of the transition from training to work in the
current training system, helping to restore the gradualness of this transition and ensuring
patient safety.