Abstract
Though there are many continuing medical education activities presently taking place in Saudi Arabia, a centrally organized training course, prepared and presented by certified family physicians, should be developed. The training should cover essential knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are vital for general physicians to improve health outcomes in their practices according to evidence-based medicine. This paper presents the planning phase of a course for general physicians in Saudi Arabia named FAME (Family Medicine Essentials), which is an effort to have a structured and standardized evidence-based course.
The FAME course includes seven modules and each module is carried out in three days. It is designed to give knowledge, change attitudes, and improve skills in a few main areas of family medicine based on either international or national established clinical practice guidelines. As a distinct approach, this course is highly learner-oriented and each specified area starts with a lecture and continues with group work, case discussions, role-playing, and other interactive learning activities.
The overall impact can be assessed by pre-implementation and post-implementation assessment; however, individuals can be assessed by pre and post-tests at the beginning and end of each module. The FAME course is an effort to put preferably national, but also international, clinical guidelines into practice through a well structured and standardized training program based on evidence-based medicine.