Giulia Berloffa, Daniele Ferrari, Luca Pasolli, Enrica Tomasi, Norma Sartori, Giuseppe Parisi

Un Progetto sperimentale di supervisione-coaching nel contesto della formazione/lavoro in medicina generale: comunicazione preliminare

Introduction

Un progetto sperimentale di supervisione-coaching nel contesto della formazione/lavoro in medicina generale: comunicazione preliminare. Progetto sperimentale di supervisione-coaching a Trento per medici di base: facilita transizione formazione-lavoro, affronta carenza e migliora la sicurezza dei pazienti.

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntroductionGiven the nationwide shortage of general practitioners, physicians attending the three-yearCourse of General Practice were given the possibility to begin professional activity without aprior internship, equating it to internship.The Trento School of General Practice, with the intention of favouring a gradual transitionfrom training to work, identified supervision and coaching as a possible alternative totutorship, and in the absence of structured supervisory experiences at a national level,decided to launch an experimental project, training a new figure of supervisor that respondsto the needs of the current training in the field context.Three functions of this figure were identified: 1) coaching (stimulating and enhancing workautonomy and growth), 2) counselling and 3) evaluation of the trainee doctor. Methods and toolsA group of experienced general practitioners attended a specially designed 12-hour courseand subsequently followed a trainee doctor.In parallel, the ‘community of practice’ of the supervisor-coaches (SC) was activated in orderto share experiences and reflect on the new role assumed.The evaluation of the experience was carried out through the administration of satisfactionquestionnaires and project work.ResultsThe analysis of the questionnaires administered and the project works indicates that therewas an improvement in the participants’ ability to interpret the role of SC and an improvementin specific skills.DiscussionThe SC is a useful response to the complexity of the transition from training to work in thecurrent training system, helping to restore the gradualness of this transition and ensuringpatient safety.

Review

The article, "Un Progetto sperimentale di supervisione-coaching nel contesto della formazione/lavoro in medicina generale: comunicazione preliminare," presents a timely and highly relevant experimental project addressing a critical challenge in general practice: the transition from training to professional work. Given the nationwide shortage of general practitioners and the policy change allowing early professional activity without traditional internships, the Trento School of General Practice has proactively developed an innovative program. This initiative focuses on establishing a new 'supervisor-coach' (SC) role, distinct from conventional tutorship, to facilitate a gradual and supported entry into practice, aiming to ensure both trainee development and patient safety. A key strength of this initiative lies in its experimental nature and its proactive response to a pressing policy shift. The project introduces a multi-functional SC role, encompassing coaching, counselling, and evaluation, reflecting a holistic view of professional development. The methodology employed, including a dedicated 12-hour training course for experienced GPs and the establishment of a 'community of practice' for SCs, indicates a thoughtful design for role preparation and ongoing support. The preliminary results, based on satisfaction questionnaires and project work, suggest positive outcomes, with participants reporting improved ability to interpret the SC role and enhanced specific skills, thus underscoring the potential efficacy of this model in bridging the gap between academic training and real-world practice. While the abstract highlights promising preliminary findings, the "comunicazione preliminare" designation aptly signals areas for further elaboration and robust evaluation. The current assessment, relying on satisfaction questionnaires and project work, provides valuable qualitative insights but would benefit from more objective and quantitative measures of impact on both the SCs and, crucially, the trainee doctors. Future research should detail the specific curriculum of the 12-hour course, provide specifics on participant numbers and the duration of the supervision, and explore the long-term effectiveness of the SC model compared to traditional tutorship, or indeed, the absence of structured support. Investigating patient outcomes and the generalizability of this model to other regions facing similar challenges would significantly strengthen the evidence base for this innovative approach.

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