PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - James Sanders TI - A Family Medicine Training Program in the Republic of Georgia: Incorporating a Model of Chronic Disease Management AID - 10.3122/jabfm.2007.06.060220 DP - 2007 Nov 01 TA - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine PG - 557--564 VI - 20 IP - 6 4099 - http://www.jabfm.org/content/20/6/557.short 4100 - http://www.jabfm.org/content/20/6/557.full SO - J Am Board Fam Med2007 Nov 01; 20 AB - Background: This study describes a different approach to increase the number of family medicine physicians trained with specific competencies in the management of chronic disease.Methods: In 1999 the Republic of Georgia initiated an ambitious program designed to retrain practicing physicians in the specialty of family medicine. At 2 of the implementation sites, the Center for International Health worked with local health authorities to augment the official 940-hour curriculum to include lesson plans, workshops, and practicum experiences emphasizing a model of chronic disease management, giving particular attention to hypertension.Results: The population served by the training sites has benefited in a cost-effective manner by achieving blood pressure control for as little as $8 per year per patient; the physician learners have performed above their peer group on standardized national testing.Conclusion: Family medicine training programs in resource-poor settings can incorporate chronic disease management models into their curriculum and achieve high-quality patient care outcomes.