Posts Tagged ‘towards’
A survey on the attitudes towards research in medical school
Background:An observed decrease of physician scientists in medical practice has generated much recent interest in increasing the exposure of research programs in medical school. The aim of this study was to review the experience and attitudes regarding research by medical students in Canada.Methods:An anonymous, cross-sectional, self-report questionnaire was administered to second and fourth year students in three medical schools in Ontario between February and May of 2005. Questions were primarily closed-ended and consisted of Likert scales. Descriptive and correlative statistics were used to analyze the responses between students of different years and previous research experience.Results:There was a 47% (327/699) overall response rate to the questionnaire. Despite 87% of respondents reporting that they had been involved in some degree of research prior to medical school, 43% report that they have not been significantly involved in research activity during medical school and 24% had no interest in any participation. There were significant differences in the attitudes towards research endeavors during medical school between students in their fourth year compared to second year. The greatest barriers to involvement in research in medical school appear to be time, availability of research mentors, formal teaching of research methodology and the perception that the student would not receive appropriate acknowledgement for work put towards a research project.Conclusion:The results of this self-report survey outline the significant differences in attitudes towards mandatory research as a component of critical inquiry and scholarship in the undergraduate curriculum in Ontario medical schools.
Investigating students’ attitudinal barriers towards the introduction of a Personal and Professional Development portfolio
Background:
Portfolios, widely used in undergraduate and postgraduate medicine, have variable purposes, formats and success. A recent systematic review summarised factors necessary for successful portfolio introduction but there are no studies investigating the views of students inexperienced in portfolio use towards portfolio learning. This study’s aim was to survey student views about a prospective Professional and Personal Development (PPD) portfolio.
Methods:
This was a qualitative, focus group study. All focus groups were taped and transcribed verbatim, and anonymised. The transcripts were analysed inductively, using framework analysis.
Results:
Four focus groups were carried out with 32 undergraduate medical students naive in portfolio use. Three themes relevant to portfolio introduction emerged. The first theme was the need for clear information and support for portfolio introduction, and anxieties about how this could be supported effectively. The second was that students had negative views about reflective learning and whether this could be taught and assessed, believing formal assessment could foster socially acceptable content. The third was that participants revealed little understanding of reflective learning and its potential benefits. Rather portfolios were seen as useful for concrete purposes (e.g., job applications) not intrinsic benefits.
Conclusions:
Undergraduate medical students without experience of portfolios are anxious about portfolio introduction. They require support in developing reflective learning skills. Care must be taken to ensure students do not see portfolios as merely yet another assessment hurdle.
Experiences, attitudes and barriers towards research amongst junior faculty of Pakistani medical universities
Background:
The developing world has had limited quality research and in Pakistan, research is still in its infancy. We conducted a study to assess the proportion of junior faculty involved in research to highlight their attitude towards research, and identify the factors associated with their research involvement.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in four medical universities/teaching hospitals in Pakistan, representing private and public sectors. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from 176 junior faculty members of studied universities/hospitals. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to attitudes and barriers in research among those currently involved in research with those who were not.
Results:
Overall, 41.5% of study subjects were currently involved in research. A highly significant factor associated with current research involvement was research training during the post-graduate period (p<0.001). Other factors associated with current involvement in research were male gender, working in the public sector and previous involvement in research. Overall, a large majority (85.2%) of doctors considered research helpful in their profession and had a positive attitude towards research; nevertheless this positive attitude was more frequently reported by doctors who were currently involved in research compared to those who were not (OR=4.69; 95% CI=1.54-14.26). Similarly, a large proportion (83.5%) of doctors considered research difficult to conduct; higher by doctors who were not presently involved in research (OR=2.74; 95% CI=1.20-6.22)
Conclusions:
Less than half of the study participants were currently involved in research. Research output may improve if identified barriers are rectified. Further studies are recommended in this area.
First Step Towards Swine Flu Vaccine Prototype Achieved
The first step towards producing a European prototype of a swine flu vaccine has been achieved by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), Health Secretary Alan Johnson has announced. On a visit to the HPA’s National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) this morning, Alan Johnson learnt that researchers have sequenced the full genetic code of the virus.
Towards a basic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing in acute stroke ? identification of salient findings by the inexperienced examiner
Background:Dysphagia is common after stroke. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a powerful tool for dysphagia assessment. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a previously established endoscopic examination protocol based on the identification of typical findings indicative of stroke ? related dysphagia may be learned and adopted by clinicians so far inexperienced in this field.Methods:After receiving a structured lecture on this topic, participants were asked to rate video sequences of endoscopic swallowing examinations of acute stroke patients. The first part of the testing (“single findings-rating”) comprised of 16 single sequences, the second part (“complete examination-rating”) presented the key sequences of 8 complete examinations. Before the second part was started, results of the first were discussed.Results:At the “single findings-rating” 88.8% of video-sequences were assessed correctly, while at the “complete examination-rating” the average performance had improved to 96%. Furthermore, no overlooking of relevant pathologies was noted in the second part of the testing.Conclusion:This study suggests that the presented endoscopic examination protocol is reliably interpreted by inexperienced clinicians after a short lecture and may therefore easily and successfully be adopted in dysphagia management of acute stroke care.
Towards a basic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing in acute stroke – identification of salient findings by the inexperienced examiner
Background:Dysphagia is common after stroke. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a powerful tool for dysphagia assessment. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a previously established endoscopic examination protocol based on the identification of typical findings indicative of stroke – related dysphagia may be learned and adopted by clinicians so far inexperienced in this field.Methods:After receiving a structured lecture on this topic, participants were asked to rate video sequences of endoscopic swallowing examinations of acute stroke patients. The first part of the testing (“single findings-rating”) comprised of 16 single sequences, the second part (“complete examination-rating”) presented the key sequences of 8 complete examinations. Before the second part was started, results of the first were discussed.Results:At the “single findings-rating” 88.8 % of video-sequences were assessed correctly, while at the “complete examination-rating” the average performance had improved to 96%. Furthermore, no overlooking of relevant pathologies was noted in the second part of the testing. Conclusion:This study suggests that the presented endoscopic examination protocol is reliably interpreted by inexperienced clinicians after a short lecture and may therefore easily and successfully be adopted in dysphagia management of acute stroke care.
Towards a Formative Assessment of Classroom Competencies (FACCs) for postgraduate medical trainees
Background:An assumption of clinical competency is no longer acceptable or feasible in routine clinical practice. We sought to determine the feasibility, practicability and efficacy of undertaking a formal assessment of clinical competency for all postgraduate medical trainees in a large NHS foundation trust.Methods:FY1 doctors were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine prior experience and self reported confidence in performing the GMC core competencies. From this a consensus panel of key partners considered and developed an 8 station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) circuit to assess clinical competencies in all training grade medical staff… The OSCE was then administered to all training grade doctors as part of their NHS trust induction process.Results:106 (87.6% of all trainees) participated in the assessment during the first 14 days of appointment. Candidates achieved high median raw percentage scores for the majority of stations however analysis of pre defined critical errors and omissions identified important areas for concern. Performance of newly qualified FY1 doctor was significantly better than other grades for the arterial blood gas estimation and nasogastric tube insertion stations.DiscussionDelivering a formal classroom assessment of clinical competencies to all trainees as part of the induction process was both feasible and useful. The assessment identified areas of concern for future training and also served to reassure as to the proficiency of trainees in undertaking the majority of core competencies.
Does targeting injury prevention towards families in disadvantaged areas reduce inequalities in safety practices?
Inequalities in childhood injury and safety practices exist, but there is little evidence that targeted interventions can reduce such inequalities. This study examines the effect of a home safety intervention on reducing inequalities in safety practices using a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial. Families with children <5 years from disadvantaged areas were randomized to receive a standardized health visitor safety consultation and free or low-cost safety equipment fitted in the home or to usual care. The impact of the intervention in terms of stair gate use and functioning smoke alarms was compared by ethnic group, maternal age, housing tenure, family type and receipt of state-provided means-tested benefits at 1-year follow-up. Marked inequalities were found for both safety practices by each socio-economic characteristic prior to the intervention. The intervention significantly reduced inequalities in stair gate use by housing tenure (P = 0.006) and receipt of benefits (P = 0.04), but did not reduce inequalities in functioning smoke alarms. We conclude that a home safety intervention targeted at deprived areas addressing the barriers of cost and needing help to fit equipment was only partially successful in reducing inequalities in safety practices. Other strategies will be required to reduce inequalities especially in relation to functioning smoke alarms.
Towards a Formative Assessment of Classroom Competencies (FACCs) for postgraduate medical trainees.
An assumption of clinical competency is no longer acceptable or feasible in routine clinical practice. We sought to determine the feasibility, practicability and efficacy of undertaking a formal assessment of clinical competency for all postgraduate medical trainees in a large NHS foundation trust. Methods:FY1 doctors were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine prior experience and self reported confidence in performing the GMC core competencies. From this a consensus panel of key partners considered and developed an 8 station Objective structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) circuit to assess clinical competencies in all training grade medical staff.. The OSCE was then administered to all training grade doctors as part of their NHS trust induction process.Results:106 (87.6% of all trainees) participated in the assessment during the first 14 days of appointment. Candidates achieved high median raw percentage scores for the majority of stations however analysis of pre defined critical errors and omissions identified important areas for concern. Performance of newly qualified FY1 doctor was significantly better than other grades for the arterial blood gas estimation and nasogastric tube insertion stations.Conclusions:Delivering a formal classroom assessment of clinical competencies to all trainees as part of the induction process was both feasible and useful. The assessment identified areas of concern for future training and also served to reassure as to the proficiency of trainees in undertaking the majority of core competencies.
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