[Clinical competence measurement in Mexican resident physicians for diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease].

OBJECTIVE Evaluate clinical competence of a mexican resident physicians sample for diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cross-sectional and analytic study in 122 resident physicians of epidemiology, family medicine and internal medicine specialty, assigned to a third level medical unit from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, taking a sample for convenience. An instrument was designed and validated for to evaluate clinical competence in five dimensions: risk factors identification, clinical data identification, diagnostic test interpretation, diagnostic integration and therapeutic resources utilization; that classified competence level in four strata: random defined, low, medium and high, with 89% of reliability accord to Kunder-Richardson test. Descriptive and no parametric inferential statistics were obtained. RESULTS A total of 122 physicians, 55.7% males (n = 68) and 44.3% females (n = 54). Random defined clinical competence 4.9% (n = 6), low 49.2% (n = 60), medium 44.3% (n = 54) and high 1.6% (n = 2). Median significantly higher in epidemiologists (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Improve clinical competence level of resident physicians for diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease is necessary. Intervention studies are required.