Education in personalized medicine: perspectives of family physicians in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Background: Being considered the medicine of the future, the integration of personalized medicine into the work of family doctors becomes inevitable, requiring the development of effective training programs adapted to the real needs of practice. Thus, in order to develop adequate programs, it becomes essential to identify educational needs and understand how family doctors perceive and prioritize training in personalized medicine. Research question(s): What are the educational needs and training preferences in personalized medicine among family physicians in the Republic of Moldova? Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a self-administered questionnaire, designed to explore how family physicians assess and define their training needs in personalized medicine, distributed to 454 family physicians in the Republic of Moldova. Results: A total of 319 valid questionnaires were collected. The study shows a strong need for personalized medicine training, with 89.0% of family physicians considering it necessary. Most family physicians believe it is very important to introduce a course in personalized medicine in university curricula (61.6%) and continuing medical education programs (56.2%). Nearly half of family physicians (46.7%) are highly interested in training over the next five years. The most effective training methods from their perspective are continuing medical education courses (80.9%), residency programs (74.9%), and university studies (73.7%). Intensive, in-person training over several consecutive days is the preferred method for acquiring competencies in personalized medicine (72%). The main motivation for training is the inclusion of personalized medicine in clinical guidelines and national protocols (81.2%). Most respondents (86.8%) are interested in studying clinical aspects and therapeutic options for common diseases. Conclusion(s): There is a clear consensus on the need for personalized medicine training among family physicians in the Republic of Moldova, emphasizing the importance of systematic and continuous training, integrated into university studies, residency and continuing medical education, focused on clinical aspects and therapeutic options. Points for discussion: updating training structures to better reflect family physicians’ demand for personalized medicine education personalized medicine approaches of interest to primary care.