Trend of the Subjects and Participants of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine Conference

Lim, Seon Je; Cheong, Yoo Seock; Park, Eal Whan; Choi, Eun Young; Lee, Sa Ra; Lee, Sam; Song, Bit Noony; Kim, Hee Jung; Seong, Hwa Yeon

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Throughout the past 20 years in the Korean academy of family medicine seasonal conference, on-going study is done to promote overall development and satisfaction of the conference participants and to overlook the trend of the conference subject, the number of classes, the number of participants, etc.
METHODS
About 2,132 topics during the conference from the year 1992 to 2007 collected from the Korean academy of family medicine website were categorized by subject based on the standard of the contents of the latest textbook. There were a total of 7 main classifications including 5 categories like 'principles of family medicine', 'disease prevention and health promotion', 'symptoms', 'clinical procedures', 'diseases' and adding 2 categories such as each committee's classes and other subjects. The scope of the changes of the main and sub-titles were categorized as in the 1990s and 21 century.
RESULTS
The number of attendees has increased during the past 20 years, especially the residents were the main portion of the participants. On the proportion of the clinical topics, there was a remarkable increase of geriatric medicine, palliative medicine, obesity, exercise, nutrition, gastroscopy, and colonoscopy procedure in the later half rather than the former half period. In the field of the main category, the core principle subjects of family medicine seemed to be decreased in contrast to disease category.
CONCLUSION
During the last 20 years, the titles of family medicine conference are changing with the trend of practice. The core knowledge of family medicine should be maintained and balanced for the future of family medicine conference.