Objective: This paper aims to evaluate the quality of scientific production in family medicine in Mexico and identify gaps in the development of research in this medical discipline. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed original articles, reviews, case reports, and editorials published from Mexico, from the year 2014 to 2023, in the three family medicine journals edited in the country. Several bibliometric indicators were evaluated. Attributes that confer validity in original articles were analyzed, and through random sampling, 10% were selected to determine their quality using checklists. Results: A total of 627 articles were analyzed; among these, 57.89% were original, 19.61% reviews, 17.06% editorials, and 5.42% case reports. Our analysis revealed significant disparities in research activity across regions in Mexico. Productivity, transience, and isolation indices were 2.79, 78.58%, and 54.05%, respectively, while the Price index was 42.74%. A small percentage of articles received funding and followed guidelines for medical research reporting (0.47% and 0.63%, respectively). The analysis of validity attributes in original articles revealed that 92.83% were observational, 88.98% were unicentric, in 47.38%, no sample size calculation was performed or specified, while in 12.12%, sampling was probabilistic. In the evaluation of the original articles, more than 60% showed limitations that compromised their quality. Conclusions: The number of published articles, along with their bibliometric, validity, and quality attributes, reflect significant gaps in the generation and dissemination of knowledge in family medicine in Mexico. This shows a transgenerational problem, identified in many countries, where the advancement of family medicine as a specialty is limited by low research productivity and methodological weaknesses in reporting.

Background: In Mexico, homicides are the leading cause of death among men aged 15 to 44 years; however, despite their increase in recent decades, the study of this issue is insufficient, given its magnitude and impact. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns and associated factors of homicides in Mexico from 2015 to 2022. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing death records from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography’s general mortality databases. Simple frequencies and incidence rates per 100,000 inhabitants by sex, year, and state of the Mexican Republic were calculated. Mortality was evaluated by age groups and geographic areas, and bivariate logistic regression models with sociodemographic variables were performed. Results: Records of 229,182 homicides in Mexico were analyzed, with a median age of 33 years, interquartile range 18. A total of 203,898 (88.96%) were men and 25,284 (11.04%) were women. The majority of deaths occurred in public places and were caused by firearms; women had a higher percentage of homicides at home. States with high incidence rates for both sexes were Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Colima, and Estado de México. The total years of life lost were 9.19 million years. The national incidence of homicides in men showed an upward trend from 2015 to 2019; however, in the case of women, this incidence increased in various age groups during the study period. Occupation, education, marital status, and place of occurrence had significant associations in the logistic regression models. Conclusions: This study provides a spatial-temporal characterization of homicides in Mexico between 2015 and 2022, highlighting the high incidence in men and the upward trend in certain age groups among women. These findings underscore the need for preventive measures and public policies to address this issue in a multisectoral manner.

Objective: to analyze the levels of reflection according to Mezirow’s model in a group of teachers and residents in the Family Medicine specialty in Mexico. Methods: a qualitative study was conducted using a Word format questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data, and critical incidents related to teacher-student communication problems. The participants’ level of reflection was analyzed based on these incidents. Results: the study classified 192 events related to critical incidents, and the participants’ reflection levels were determined. 104 events (81.88%) described by teachers, and 45 events (69.23%) by residents were categorized in the first level of analysis, corresponding to non-reflective. 21 events (16.53%) by teachers, and 18 events (27.69%) by residents were situated in the second level: reflective, while 2 events (1.57%) by teachers, and 2 events (3.07%) by residents were classified as critical reflection. Conclusion: according to Mezirow’s model, the level of reflection in most participants did not lead to changes to favor behavioral modification. These findings suggest the need for additional strategies to promote critical reflection and facilitate attitudinal change in educational contexts.

Background: Deficiencies in communication among healthcare professionals, recognized by medical educators and healthcare institutions, can negatively impact medical education and clinical practice. Analyzing teacher-resident communication difficulties shed light on this issue and propose practical strategies for its mitigation. Objective: To identify common communication challenges between teacher and residents during Family Medicine residency and to analyze their impact on interactions with peers, the work team, and patients. Design: Qualitative study, the critical incident technique was used to collect information of interest. Participants: Seventy teachers, and fifty third-year residents from the Mexican Republic described critical incidents related to their communication experiences during Family Medicine residency. Results: 192 critical incidents were collected (several participants reported more than one incident), comprising 127 reports from teachers, and 65 from residents. Four themes were identified: 1) asymmetric communication, 2) assertive communication, 3) organizational communication, and 4) effective communication. The main challenges identified were abuse of power in communication, lack of communication skills, and the absence of institutional communication channels. These issues significantly impacted learning, work environment, interpersonal relationships, and medical care. Conclusion: This study highlights communication issues within Family Medicine residency in Mexico. The issues detected hindered learning and effective collaboration and negatively impacted the work environment, interpersonal relationships, and the quality of medical care. These findings underscore the urgent need to reorient the medical specialty curriculum towards an approach that includes communication skills.

En México, la salud es consagrada como un derecho humano fundamental. Este enfoque va más allá de la atención médica, reconociendo la salud como un estado completo de bienestar físico, mental y social. Desde esta perspectiva, se destaca la importancia de garantizar el acceso universal a los servicios de salud, sin discriminación por ninguna causa. Esta visión inclusiva se extiende a las personas con discapacidad, considerándolas sujetos de derechos inalienables. La salud como derecho humano implica un compromiso integral con la atención médica, la prevención y la inclusión social, reconociendo a las personas con discapacidad y procurando una atención médica adaptada que promueva su pleno bienestar. Desde la perspectiva de los derechos humanos, se enfatiza la necesidad de una atención médica accesible y no discriminatoria para todos, esta concepción debe estar centrada también en la formación médica, reconociendo a los estudiantes como sujetos de derechos y la importancia de desarrollar competencias profesionales orientadas a una atención médica respetuosa y equitativa.

Las discapacidades invisibles se configuran a partir de la presencia de síntomas físicos, cognitivos y emocionales que dificultan la realización de actividades de la vida diaria, éstas no son fácilmente detectables a simple vista, sin embargo, su impacto en la calidad de vida y el bienestar emocional, así como en el desempeño cotidiano en las personas que las presentan puede ser profundo. En el primer nivel de atención, los profesionales de la salud pueden enfrentar dificultades para identificar y abordar estas discapacidades. Debido a la ausencia de señales visibles, su evaluación puede conducir a diagnósticos erróneos o a una falta de reconocimiento. En el ámbito de la medicina familiar, estas condiciones pueden tener efectos significativos en las relaciones interpersonales y la dinámica familiar, ya que pueden ser malinterpretadas, subestimadas o no comprendidas en su totalidad. Es fundamental adoptar un enfoque holístico, considerando tanto los aspectos físicos como emocionales de la salud de los pacientes. La sensibilización, la educación y la creación de un entorno de atención empático son cruciales para reconocer y abordar adecuadamente este tipo de discapacidades y favorecer con ello mejoras en la calidad de vida de las personas.