Shared Reading as a Community of Practice for Overcoming the Generation Gap and Improving Psychological Safety in Rural Family Medicine Education: A Grounded-Theory Approach

Background A community of practice (CoP) is essential for continuous professional development in family medicine. A CoP in medical education comprises a group of individuals who share common interests and learn and share knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The generation gap between teachers and learners can influence their effective collaboration in family medicine education. To address this issue, shared reading, which involves group discussions on medical texts, effectively promotes intergenerational learning within a CoP. Shared reading is particularly beneficial in rural contexts, where medical resources are scarce, and the generation gap between teachers and learners is wide. This study examines how shared reading facilitates learning and practice among family medicine trainees in rural areas. Methods This qualitative study utilized a grounded-theory approach. It involved the participation of eight family medicine residents, five junior residents, and seven medical students from Unnan City Hospital, Japan, in shared reading sessions between August 2022 and March 2023. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants after the sessions. Results Data analysis using the grounded-theory approach yielded three themes: facilitating learning and motivation, respectful collaboration with teachers, and developing a relationship that fosters psychological safety. First, through shared reading, the participants had opportunities to learn about medical issues and engage in continual dialogues with colleagues and teachers. Second, the participants felt motivated to apply their newly acquired knowledge at work and collaborate with teachers. Third, they acquired self-regulated learning skills by adapting their motivations to their interests and experiences. Increased interaction between participants and teachers during the sessions helped mitigate the generation gap and enhanced psychological safety. Conclusions Shared reading effectively promotes continuous learning and motivates medical learners to apply their knowledge and collaborate with teachers. It facilitates the development of self-regulated learning skills, helps mitigate the generation gap, and enhances psychological safety among educators and learners in rural medical education.