Abstract
Aims and MethodWe checked whether psychiatric junior doctors could identify common electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities. Participants were directly approached at three London sites during induction or teaching programmes.ResultsThe survey had a total response rate of 65% (36/55). Psychiatry junior doctors displayed an overall success rate of 97% in detecting whether an ECG is grossly abnormal, but were much less competent in specifying exact ECG diagnoses (success rate of 41%). Accuracy rates for some diagnoses (e.g. paced rhythm) fell to as low as 11%. General practitioners performed no better than psychiatry trainees.Clinical ImplicationsThere is little consensus about minimum acceptable standards in medical skills such as ECG reporting in junior doctors. These competencies are generally ignored in new curriculums. Questions regarding the appropriate remit of psychiatry doctors in this area are raised and the need for more monitoring and education of these skills is queried.
Highlights
There is little consensus about minimum acceptable standards in medical skills such as ECG reporting in junior doctors.These competencies are generally ignored in new curriculums
Psychiatry junior doctors appeared reasonably competent at identifying an ECG as grossly normal or abnormal but much less accurate at making exact ECG diagnoses
There is little consensus about minimum acceptable standards in ECG reporting in psychiatric trainees
Summary
The survey had a total response rate of 65% (36/55). Psychiatry junior doctors displayed an overall success rate of 97% in detecting whether an ECG is grossly abnormal, but were much less competent in specifying exact ECG diagnoses (success rate of 41%). There is little consensus about minimum acceptable standards in medical skills such as ECG reporting in junior doctors.These competencies are generally ignored in new curriculums. Junior psychiatry doctors have diverse responsibilities both in their day-to-day work and in their role as an on-call doctor. They are usually responsible for the physical health of their patients who often have comorbid medical conditions and vascular risk factors such as smoking and diabetes. Most individuals require a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) on admission, often in anticipation of antipsychotic use. Psychiatric junior doctors often come from diverse backgrounds with varying prior general medical experience. Little is known about their general medical skills (such as ECG interpretation) which are rarely assessed during their psychiatric training
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