Identifying musculoskeletal conditions in electronic medical records: a prevalence and validation study using the Deliver Primary Healthcare Information (DELPHI) database.

Background: Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a common presentation in primary care. This study sought to determine the prevalence of MSK conditions in primary care in Ontario and to validate the extent to which health administrative date billing codes accurately represent MSK diagnoses.

Methods: De-identified electronic medical records (EMR) from the DELPHI database in southwestern Ontario, which contains 2493 patients (55.

Psychosocial diagnoses occurring after patients present with fatigue.

Objective: To discover the frequency of psychosocial and other diagnoses occurring at the end of a visit when patients present to their FPs with concerns about fatigue.

Design: Cross-sectional study of patient-FP encounters for fatigue.

Setting: Ten FP practices in southwestern Ontario.

Comparisons of multi-morbidity in family practice--issues and biases.

Background: As the population ages, practice and policy need to be guided by accurate estimates of chronic disease burden in primary care.

Objective: To produce a preliminary set of methodological considerations for cross-sectional and retrospective cohort studies of multi-morbidity in primary care using three studies as examples. Prevalence rate results from the three studies were re-estimated using identical age-sex groups.

The sum of the parts detracts from the intended whole: competencies and in-training assessments.

Objectives: Despite the fact that Canadian residency programmes are required to assess trainees' performance within the context of the CanMEDS Roles Framework, there has been no inquiry into the potential relationship between residents' perceptions of the framework and their in-training assessments (ITA). Using data collected during the study of ITA, we explored residents' perceptions of these competencies.

Methods: From May 2006-07, a purposive sample of 20 resident doctors from internal medicine, paediatrics, and surgery were interviewed about their ITA experiences.

Rules of engagement: residents' perceptions of the in-training evaluation process.

Background: In-training evaluation reports (ITERs) often fall short of their goals of promoting resident learning and development. Efforts to address this problem through faculty development and assessment-instrument modification have been disappointing. The authors explored residents' experiences and perceptions of the ITER process to gain insight into why the process succeeds or fails.