Mean (±SEM) ratings for 33 GP skills/activities in Irish hospital doctors (n=547)
| Skills | Mean (±SEM) importance ratings | Mean (±SEM) current performance ratings | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Diagnostic | Paediatrics | Surgery | O&G | Other | Medicine | Diagnostic | Paediatrics | Surgery | O&G | Other | |
| Communicating well with patients | 6.7 (0.1) | 4.7 (0.4)# | 7.0 (0.0) | 6.9 (0.1) | 7.0 (0.0) | 6.9 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.1) | 6.0 (0.1) | 6.5 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.1) |
| Good record-keeping/data input | 6.6 (0.1) | 6.8 (0.1) | 6.6 (0.2) | 6.5 (0.1) | 6.7 (0.2) | 6.8 (0.1) | 5.3 (0.1) | 6.2 (0.1)* | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.3) | 5.4 (0.2) |
| Safe and evidence-based prescribing | 6.4 (0.1) | 3.8 (0.4)# | 6.5 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.2) | 6.7 (0.1) | 6.2 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.1) | 5.3 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.3) |
| Appraising performance/conducting audit | 5.4 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.1) | 6.1 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.1) | 5.1 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.2) | 4.5 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.3) | 4.8 (0.4) |
| Getting on with your colleagues/team | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.4 (0.2) | 6.6 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.2) |
| Statistical analysis of your own research data | 4.4 (0.1) | 4.3 (0.3) | 5.3 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.4) | 4.9 (0.4) | 3.8 (0.1) | 3.8 (0.3) | 3.2 (0.3) | 3.6 (0.2) | 4.2 (0.4) | 4.0 (0.3) |
| Practising evidence-based medicine/clinical guidelines | 6.0 (0.1) | 6.1 (0.2) | 6.4 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.1) | 6.5 (0.1) | 6.0 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.2) |
| Procedural skills | 5.0 (0.1) | 6.0 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.3) | 6.8 (0.1)* | 6.9 (0.1)* | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.1)# | 5.9 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.1) | 6.4 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) |
| Recognising and managing risk in clinical practice | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.6 (0.2) | 6.4 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.2) |
| Doing procedures/using new equipment/technology | 4.3 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.3) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.3) | 4.4 (0.1) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.1 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.3) |
| Introducing new ideas/services/clinics | 5.6 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.3) | 4.8 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.2) | 4.8 (0.2) | 4.7 (0.2) | 5.1 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.4) |
| Searching medical literature/online healthcare resources | 5.9 (0.1) | 6.0 (0.2) | 6.3 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.3) | 5.3 (0.1) | 5.4 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.3) | 5.5 (0.3) |
| Giving feedback | 5.7 (0.1) | 5.6 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.3) | 5.5 (0.3) | 4.8 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.2) | 4.5 (0.2) | 4.4 (0.3) | 4.6 (0.3) |
| Giving clear advice/information/ instructions to patients | 6.4 (0.1) | 4.6 (0.4)# | 6.7 (0.2) | 6.5 (0.1) | 6.8 (0.1) | 6.5 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.1) | 6.0 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.2) |
| Negotiation and conflict resolution skills | 5.9 (0.1) | 5.4 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.2) | 5.1 (0.1) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.3) | 4.8 (0.2) | 4.8 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.3) |
| Teaching/training colleagues, staff or students | 6.0 (0.1) | 6.2 (0.2) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.1) | 6.6 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.1) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.3 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.3) |
| Planning and organising individual patient care | 6.0 (0.1) | 4.7 (0.4)# | 6.5 (0.1) | 6.2 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.5 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.1) | 5.2 (0.3) | 5.9 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) | 5.9 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.3) |
| Assessing patients' psychological and social needs | 5.4 (0.1) | 3.3 (0.4)# | 6.2 (0.2) | 5.1 (0.2) | 5.6 (0.2) | 6.0 (0.3) | 4.7 (0.1) | 4.2 (0.3)† | 5.0 (0.2) | 4.2 (0.1)† | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.4) |
| Organising and managing your time and workload | 6.3 (0.1) | 6.4 (0.1) | 6.4 (0.2) | 6.2 (0.1) | 6.4 (0.2) | 6.5 (0.2) | 4.7 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.3) | 4.2 (0.3) | 4.3 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.4) | 4.7 (0.3) |
| Use of new media/digital technology | 4.9 (0.1) | 5.6 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.2) | 5.5 (0.3) | 4.4 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.2) | 4.5 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.3) | 4.9 (0.4) |
| Writing medico-legal reports/legal medicine/medical ethics | 4.2 (0.1) | 4.3 (0.4) | 4.7 (0.3) | 4.2 (0.2) | 4.3 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.5) | 4.2 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.3) | 4.1 (0.2) | 4.3 (0.4) | 4.8 (0.4) |
| Practising health promotion and preventative medicine | 4.9 (0.1) | 3.6 (0.4)§ | 5.7 (0.3) | 4.3 (0.2)§ | 5.4 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.4) | 4.3 (0.1) | 4.3 (0.3) | 4.7 (0.2) | 3.5 (0.2)* | 4.6 (0.4) | 4.4 (0.4) |
| Resource management/business skills/generating income/practice management | 4.8 (0.1) | 5.0 (0.3) | 4.2 (0.4) | 5.1 (0.2) | 5.0 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.4) | 4.1 (0.1) | 3.9 (0.3) | 3.2 (0.3) | 4.0 (0.2) | 4.3 (0.4) | 4.1 (0.4) |
| Writing and publishing your research | 4.6 (0.1) | 4.4 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.0 (0.3) | 4.6 (0.1) | 4.4 (0.3) | 5.8 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.0 (0.3) |
| Designing, supervising, managing research projects | 4.4 (0.1) | 4.1 (0.3)‡ | 5.5 (0.2) | 4.7 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.3) | 3.8 (0.1) | 3.8 (0.3) | 3.6 (0.4) | 3.4 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.5) | 4.2 (0.4) |
| Accessing research resources, eg time, money (funding), information | 4.1 (0.1) | 3.5 (0.3) | 5.5 (0.3)* | 4.1 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.4) | 3.1 (0.1) | 3.2 (0.3) | 2.8 (0.3) | 2.5 (0.2) | 3.4 (0.4) | 3.2 (0.4) |
| Working as a member of a team | 6.4 (0.1) | 6.5 (0.1) | 6.7 (01) | 6.2 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.8 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.1) | 6.1 (0.1) | 6.2 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.1) | 5.6 (0.3) | 5.9 (0.2) |
| Patient advocacy, social duty as a doctor | 5.6 (0.1) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.4 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.0 (0.1) | 4.4 (0.3) | 5.4 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.8 (0.4) | 5.2 (0.3) |
| Communications with HSE/regulatory agencies/professional bodies | 5.0 (0.1) | 4.6 (0.3) | 5.3 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.2) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.0 (0.4) | 4.3 (0.1) | 4.5 (0.2) | 4.1 (0.3) | 3.7 (0.2) | 4.2 (0.3) | 4.1 (0.4) |
| Coping with and managing change in the healthcare service | 5.4 (0.1) | 5.3 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) | 5.2 (0.2) | 5.4 (0.3) | 5.5 (0.3) | 4.6 (0.1) | 4.5 (0.2) | 4.4 (0.2) | 4.3 (0.2) | 4.6 (0.3) | 4.4 (0.3) |
| Prescribing healthy lifestyle and weight management | 5.0 (0.1) | 3.0 (0.4)# | 5.6 (0.3) | 4.9 (0.2) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.1) | 3.9 (0.3) | 5.2 (0.3) | 4.0 (0.2) | 4.4 (0.4) | 4.5 (0.3) |
| Stress management (self) | 6.1 (0.1) | 6.1 (0.2) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.2) | 6.1 (0.4) | 4.2 (0.1) | 4.0 (0.3) | 3.7 (0.3) | 3.9 (0.2) | 3.9 (0.4) | 3.8 (0.4) |
| Leadership skills | 6.2 (0.1) | 5.8 (0.2) | 6.6 (0.1) | 6.3 (0.1) | 5.9 (0.2) | 6.3 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.1) | 4.9 (0.2) | 5.1 (0.3) | 5.1 (0.1) | 4.9 (0.3) | 5.2 (0.2) |
Ratings were given on a 1–7 Likert scale, where a score of 1 signifies ‘very unimportant’ (Importance) or ‘poor’ (Current performance) and 7 indicates ‘very important’ or ‘very well’.
Mann-Whitney U test comparisons, where p<0.007 (two-tailed) (Bonferroni correction): #decreased relative to other clinical specialties; *increased relative to other clinical specialties; †decreased relative to medicine, paediatrics, O&G and other; §decreased relative to paediatrics, O&G and other; ‡decreased relative to paediatrics, surgery, O&G and other.
HSE = health service executive; O&G = obstetrics and gynaecology; SEM = standard error of the mean.