Educational Needs of General Practitioners in the Domain of Orthopedic Disorders: Investigating the Differences from the Viewpoints of Medical Trainees, Interns, Orthopedic Assistants, and Professors

Background: To characterize the educational needs of different sectors and to improve educational quality, investigating learners’ attitudes is of utmost importance. Thus, the present study was designed and implemented to assess the educational needs of general medicine from the viewpoints of medical trainees, interns, orthopedic assistants, and professors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 154 medical trainees, interns, orthopedic assistants, and professors at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018 were investigated. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, comprised demographic characteristics information and 44 common symptoms of orthopedic disorders. The validity and the reliability of this research instrument was further reviewed and verified in a pilot study. Results: The findings of this study revealed top 10 priorities of educational needs in the groups included low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprain, General Principals of Fracture and Dislocation, lower limb fractures, diabetic foot problems, upper limb fractures, osteoporosis, and spinal discopathy, as well as complications of fractures and dislocations. Besides, a significant difference was among the study groups in the cases of low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic foot problems, and spinal discopathy. Conclusion: The study results led to identify top 10 priorities of educational needs in general practitioners associated with orthopedic symptoms and disorders. It is recommended to carry out further investigations to ascertain appropriate contexts for teaching such priorities and organizing the relevant educational contents. Keywords: EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, GENERAL MEDICINE, ORTHOPEDICS, MEDICAL EDUCATION