Developing occupational and environmental medicine curricula for primary care residents: Project EPOCN-Envi

To help primary care residency programs develop or improve residency curric ula in occupational and environmental medicine, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health launched a train-the-trainer initiative. Thi s project was called EPOCH-Envi (Educating Physicians in OCcupational Healt h and the Environment). From 1990 to 1996, 46 2-day curriculum development workshops were held. These featured (1) guidelines on how to plan, implemen t, and evaluate a curriculum (2) continuing education on occupational illne sses and injuries, (3) a worksite or environmental site visit, and (4) info rmation resources. A total of 435 faculty from 305 residency programs parti cipated, representing 42.5% of the family practice residencies and 24.9% of the internal medicine residencies in the United States. A survey conducted among attendees (60.4% response rate) 17 months after their workshop revea led that 65.6% of respondents had added lectures on occupational and enviro nmental topics to the residency curriculum. Other curriculum improvements w ere also made. Primary care physicians manage most patients with occupation al and environmental health problems or concerns. Providing technical assis tance specifically designed to support occupational and environmental healt h education in primary care residencies can have a positive impact on curri culum content.