Purpose Team-based care offers potential improvements in communication, care coordination, efficiency, value and satisfaction levels of both patients and providers. However, the question of how to balance the need for information in team-based care without disregarding patient preferences remains unanswered. This study aims to determine patients’ perceptions of information sharing via electronic health records (EHRs) in team-based care. Methods This qualitative study used a focus group approach. Participants were primary care patients and representative members from minority groups (ethnic, racial or social). Audio recordings of the sessions were transcribed and coded consistent with thematic analyses. Results The analysis revealed that the participants in the focus groups had diverging levels of understanding and personal beliefs around five major themes including (i) patient’s understanding of the care team, (ii) perceptions of electronic health records, (iii) defining basic health care information, (iv) sharing information with the health care team and (v) patient’s trust in doctors and the health care system. Conclusions The participants of our focus groups value team-based care and view patients as a critical part of those teams. With respect to electronic health records, our participants recognized their importance but had concerns about inaccuracies and limited options to correct errors in their records. In general, participants were willing to share basic information but disagreed about what information should be considered to be basic. Moreover, based on their trust and comfort level, many participants want to control what information is recorded and shared in the electronic health record.

Introduction: The Department of Family and Preventive Medicine is home for the University of Utah’s Family Medicine Residency program. Although Utah’s diversity is steadily increasing, the race/ethnic diversity of the program’s family medicine residency does not reflect the state’s general population. Methods: From 2017 to 2021, the residency instituted several adjustments to recruitment processes, including modification of an existing screening system to better highlight resiliency in overcoming challenging life experiences; promotion of commitment to diversity during interview days; incorporation of increased participation from diverse faculty and residents on interview days; and addition of outreach from the Office of Health, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Underrepresented in medicine (URiM) applicants were the first to be offered interviews in an identical screening score cohort, and were ranked highest in rank lists in cohorts with identical final rank scores. Results: Over the past five match cycles, Latinx residents have increased from zero to six, and underrepresented Asian residents from zero to two. In the 2021 match cycle, five of 10 incoming residents (50%) are URiM. Overall, URiM residents are now 30%, and residents of color 36%, of a total of 30 residents across all 3 training years. We found that eight URiM interviews were needed for every one URiM match. Conclusion: Intentional resident recruitment initiatives can transform racial/ethnic diversity in a family medicine residency program in a short amount of time.

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) derive measurable physiologic and psychologic benefits from participation in physical activities and sports. Physicians in the position of evaluating these individuals and providing guidance in regard to their competitive or recreational physical activities need to be aware of the physiologic and anatomic concerns specific to this population. Effective screening and evaluation by a physician, accompanied with clearly communicated guidelines for specific activities, can provide an individual with DS the opportunity to safely participate in sports and recreational physical activity.

Objective To describe the process of creating the Family Medicine Vital Signs blog, curated and edited by residents and faculty at the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Program and to obtain feedback from participants regarding educational impact. Methods Each resident and faculty member contributes at least one blog post per year (with other invited authors), resulting in one post per week on the blog site. An editorial board composed of residents and faculty provides direction and editorial assistance for each post. Residency staff assist in providing authors with reminders and logistical support. A survey was conducted of blog contributors to understand their perceptions of the blog's educational value. Results The Family Medicine Vital Signs blog was started in July 2014, with 40% (n = 68) of the 170 posts provided by residents, 38.2% (n = 65) by faculty, and 21.8% (n = 37) by invited authors through June 2017. It has averaged nearly 100 unique readers per week and has had 15 posts republished in different venues. The participant survey demonstrated scores above the median-possible score, showing positive impact in support of the educational goals. Conclusion A residency blog provides a venue for educational instruction, supporting physician development of communication skills, community engagement, and advocacy.

A t the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Program, we were very interested to read the article by Khadpe and Joshi 1 regarding the use of blogs in graduate medical education (GME). Two years ago our residency program started publishing Family Medicine Vital Signs, the first family medicine (FM) residency blog in the nation. 2 Our blog fills several critical roles in our residency program. First, writing a blog entry addressing an area of passion in FM teaches residents advocacy skills and supports the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education training milestones for professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills. Second, the blog endorses the program's core missions of supporting FM advocacy and training future physician leaders in the specialty. Third, the blog provides a platform that allows residents and faculty to share personal and professional experiences as trainees, practitioners, and educators. Many submissions have shared personal stories that reflect on such topics as the professional roles of a physician, meaning and purpose in medicine, and the human experience in medicine. Multiple Family Medicine Vital Signs posts have subsequently been picked up by KevinMD.com and other medical blogs.In addition to our residents and faculty participants, we have invited guest bloggers from the University of Utah and nationally to write on FM topics of importance. The blog has included a series from FM leaders around the country addressing the question, ''Why (not) family medicine?'' Many of these posts covered the joys of practicing in FM, while others focused on the future of health care and the place of FM in this future system. These posts provided a contextual view regarding FM's role in providing current and future leaders in our health care system.Participation in the University of Utah FM blog is a requirement for our residents. The posts are reviewed by a social media editorial board composed of FM residency faculty and residents. This review process ensures that delicate and controversial issues are addressed in an appropriate and respectful manner. The board has been critical to the successful implementation and function of our social media efforts. We strongly encourage a similar oversight group for other GME programs considering developing a social media presence.The Family Medicine Vital Signs blog has provided rich learning and writing opportunities for our residents and faculty. We recommend that all GME programs consider the value of developing a similar social media project. References 1. Khadpe J, Joshi N. How to utilize blogs for residency education. J Grad Med Educ. 2016;8(4):605-606. 2. University of Utah Family Medicine Residency. Family Medicine Vital Signs (blog). https://fammedvitalsigns.