Family physician anesthetists: continuing education, observations, evaluation

A method is described whereby continuing education for family practitioner anesthetists is taken to community hospitals, where patterns of practice, local problems and facilities are different from those of larger urban areas. Five Ontario communities were visited for 4½ days each, by invitation, providing the visiting clinician with an opportunity to observe the quality of anesthesia services and to measure, through a self-evaluation test, the deficiencies in applied basic and clinical knowledge thought to be necessary for modern, safe practice. These programs were well received and thought to be of real benefit to the participants. Similar programs could be provided in general medicine, cardiology, gastroenterology, pediatrics and psychiatry.