Conference paper
SURVEY ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPECTATIONS OF PSYCHIATRY OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY (ID) IN JUNIOR DOCTORS JOINING A NHS MENTAL HEALTH TRUST
Madhusudan Deepak Thalitaya
; East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), London, UK
Claire Reynolds
; East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), London, UK
Abstract
Background: Nationally, there is a drive to rotate more Foundation and GP Trainee Doctors through Psychiatry posts. In East
London Foundation Trust (ELFT) in Bedfordshire, doctors from Core Psychiatry, Foundation and GP training programmes come to train in Psychiatry. Many will not have worked in Psychiatry before and have little experience of patients with ID. The prevalence of people with ID is increasing with improved life expectancy. They are a complex and vulnerable group with considerable wider legal, ethical and social issues. Recent national reports including the Confidential Inquiry in to Premature Deaths in People with Learning Disability3 and Transforming Care4 have recommended increased training and awareness of the roles and responsibilities for all health staff who provide care to people with ID.
Aim: To survey the knowledge level and expectations of junior doctors on Psychiatry placements in Bedfordshire in relation to
ID and local logistical arrangements of services and on call duties.
Methodology: The local ID governance committee together with the Postgraduate Medical Education Department created a
questionnaire which was circulated to new trainee Doctors on placements with ELFT. The questionnaire was distributed to new
trainees after 3 different inductions throughout the year. This combined self-rating questions using Likert scales, multiple choice
answers and others allowing for expanded free text answers.
Discussion: The results show the self-rated knowledge levels of ID psychiatry in general and with regard to local services and on call arrangements amongst new trainees was low. The majority of trainees indicated they would have liked to have received
information on the suggested areas at the start of the placement. When given the option of themes of information the psychiatric and medical presentation was most sought, although general and on call specific information was also indicated to be useful. The most popular delivery of information was found to be oral presentation and hand out at induction, followed by an electronic document. 8 trainees were interested in attending clinical sessions in ID and most felt it would be feasible in their posts to get to these.
Conclusions: This survey shows that Junior Doctors from different training programmes rate their knowledge of ID psychiatry
to be low. This has implications during their rotation in a mental health trust as they are expected to cover an ID ward whilst on call, but also going forward in their careers as all specialties will encounter patients with ID. It is known that awareness of patients with ID is lacking in many healthcare professionals and we know that people with ID are living longer, however continue to have worse health than the general population. The results show trainees would like more education on ID and would be interested in attending clinical sessions in ID psychiatry. The results will enable clinicians in ID services how best to improve the local induction experience for trainees. It also will guide how to educate colleagues outside of the specialty to improve their practice with people with ID, which will improve standards in the quality of care people with ID receive from doctors who treat them.
Keywords
Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability; training; junior doctors
Hrčak ID:
263758
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2017.
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