Physician specialists who possess distinct attitudes, skills, and knowledge that qualify them to provide continuing and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance, and preventive services to each member of the family, regardless of sex, age, or type of problem, be it biological, behavioral, or social. These specialists, because of their background and interactions with the family, are best qualified to serve as patient advocates in all health-related matters, including the appropriate use of consultants, health services, and community resources (AAFP, 2009 AU44: The in-text citation "AAFP, 2009" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Published in Chapter:
Self-Directed Learning in Family Medicine
Theresa J. Barrett (New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, USA)
Copyright: © 2014
|Pages: 23
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6260-5.ch009
Abstract
Self-directed learners are able to recognize their learning needs, set their learning goals, identify the resources necessary to accomplish those goals, implement learning strategies, and evaluate the results of their efforts (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991). Self-directedness is a skill that many adult learners possess. In an age when biomedical knowledge is increasing at a pace never before seen in human history, being a self-directed learner is not just a necessary skill, it is a critical one for family physicians. This chapter provides a brief overview of several self-directed learning models and the characteristics of self-directed learners, discusses self-directed learning in the context of continuing medical education, and provides an assessment of family physicians as self-directed learners.