BMC Medical Education最新文献

Background: The importance of dental knowledge in medical school education has been previously emphasized however, there have been limitation with adoption of a dental and oral examination component in the medical school curriculum, with hands-on training the least taught. Smart glasses have been used in a variety of applications and the objective of our study was to analyze the effectiveness of smart glasses use as a feedback tool in teaching and evaluating the oral exam performed by medical students.

Methods: The pilot study included ten medical students and a standardized patient. All ten medical students were provided with a didactic self-study online course on dental examinations and were arbitrarily assigned into two groups of five. One group was assigned to an intervention arm in which they performed an oral exam using the smart glasses and the other group performed the oral exam without the smart glasses. A preceptor supervised both groups and recorded his observations on a form. The students completed a questionnaire at the end of the study to discuss their experiences. The effectiveness of the smart glasses was reflected in a high summary score of the observations and the response to the questionnaire reflected the use of the smart glasses as a feedback tool.

Results: Our pilot study demonstrated feasibility of using the smart glasses as an effective tool for learning oral and dental examination. The student feedback was more favorable in the intervention group.

Conclusion: Our pilot study demonstrated that smart glasses were an effective tool to enhance medical education of the oral and dental examination performed by medical students. This technology can be explored further to conduct other innovative medical education projects.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Background: The widespread adoption of online education in medical teaching has brought new challenges. Technical issues, such as poor video quality, can intensify student anxiety and diminish learning motivation.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 93 medical students. The participants watched videos of varying quality (no interference, moderate interference, or severe interference) to evaluate the impact of video quality on their state anxiety (STAI-S) and learning motivation (MSLQ). Gender and trait anxiety (STAI-T) were included as control variables.

Results: Lower video quality was associated with higher levels of state anxiety, and gender had no significant moderating effect. Students with greater trait anxiety demonstrated better short-term adaptability under stress. No significant correlation was found between learning motivation and state anxiety.

Conclusion: Video quality significantly affects students' immediate psychological states. Optimizing video quality in online education is essential to reduce students' psychological burden and enhance their learning experience.

Background: At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, strict measures suspended face-to-face teaching at German universities, posing significant challenges for medical education. Practical, patient-centered training couldn't be fully replaced by online formats, leading to skill deficits and increased stress among students. To date, no study has examined the impact of COVID-19 on the resilience and the competence of medical graduates so far. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating the pandemic impact on resilience, medical competence, communication skills, and research competence of medical graduates.

Methods: The study employed data from the "Bavarian Graduate Study of Medicine" (MediBAS), a cross-sectional evaluation survey conducted in cooperation with Bavarian universities and the Bavarian Institute for higher education research and planning. It targeted medical, dental, and veterinary graduates. The data were collected in two waves (2018/19 and 2022/23), with 1.114 human medicine graduates participating. The questionnaire assessed among others resilience, medical expertise, communication skills, and research competence. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and Mann-Whitney-U tests due to non-normal data distribution.

Results: The study analyzed self-assessed resilience, medical expertise, communication, and research skills of medical graduates from two waves. The findings demonstrated through descriptive statistics a decline in all competencies except research skills, which exhibited an increase. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between variables. Mann-Whitney-U tests revealed no significant differences between the waves in resilience (p =.079, r =.06), medical expertise (p =.117, r =.05), communication skills (p =.053, r =.07), or research competence (p =.106, r =.05).

Conclusion: The study examined the impact of COVID-19 on medical graduates' resilience, medical expertise, communication skills, and research competence. While there was a slight decline in resilience, medical expertise, and communication skills between the waves, there was an improvement in research competence. None of these changes were statistically significant. The findings suggest that the pandemic may have contributed to these trends by limiting practical experiences. No major negative impacts were found, suggesting no "lost generation" of doctors. The long-term effects of the changes remain uncertain due to the cross-sectional design and require further research.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop an experimental teaching module based on virtual simulation (VS) to facilitate the instruction of undergraduates in regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) and to assess its impact on academic outcomes and students' perceptions.

Methods: A REPs-VS platform with detailed diagnostic thinking, treatment protocol, and outcome evaluation scripts we developed. In total, 123 undergraduates in the fourth year were randomly divided into group A (REPs-VS teaching mode) and group B (traditional teaching mode). The effectiveness was evaluated by theoretical and operational examinations. The perspectives of students were assessed via questionnaires.

Results: The total scores of the theoretical and operational examinations in group A were 82.10 ± 14.50 and 90.65 ± 4.81, respectively, which were significantly higher than the control group. Approximately 98.3% of students in group A agreed that the REPs-VS teaching platform improved their knowledge and skills. Most of the students in both groups unanimously acknowledged that the REPs-VS platform effectively enhanced the course's entertainment value and consequently increased their enthusiasm.

Conclusion: The REPs-VS teaching platform established herein is an innovative and practical tool that can enhance the comprehension of REPs among undergraduate students, providing a more robust foundation for clinical practice.

Background: Quality supervision in general practice (GP) is critical for the progress and satisfaction of GP registrars and for attracting future rural GPs. However, there is limited research to inform the implementation of feedback systems for enhancing supervision by rural supervisors, and no published evidence specific to distance education where a remote supervisor may be in a different practice and supervising from afar. This study aimed to develop and explore the outcomes of an easy-to-administer, safe and constructive, registrar-to-supervisor feedback system for a distance (or remote) supervision model.

Methods: Participatory action research involved the design of a standardised short-form questionnaire and an administration, data analysis and feedback process between registrars and supervisors. The questionnaire was administered each year between 16-20 weeks of the first year of registrar training within a 3-4-year rural and remote GP training program-the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) (2020-2022). Participation in the project was voluntary. Registrars were asked 12 standardised questions about supervision over three domains: bond strength, task agreement and goal setting. Responses were summed by domain and evaluated using set criteria of high (> 80%), medium (51% to 79%) or low (50% or lower). High- and medium-level narrative feedback reports were provided to supervisors. Low domain scores were followed up by relevant internal staff to negotiate and resolve issues.

Results: All 106 commencing registrars completed the questionnaire, of which n = 99/106 (93%) reported high performance related to the bond with their supervisor, n = 94/106 (89%) reported high performance on training tasks, and n = 53/106 (50%) reported medium or low performance for supervisor's understanding the registrar goals. The majority of supervisors found the feedback useful. Ten registrars identified to be in need (9% of 106) were offered additional support.

Conclusions: The system was found to be feasible, safe, and constructive for reviewing the quality of a distance supervision model for rural and remote registrars. It enabled prompt resolution of issues that would have otherwise been difficult to address and facilitated more open discussions about the quality of supervision. This process has been standardised within the RVTS.

Effective communication plays a crucial role in healthcare settings, as it enhances patient outcomes and improves the overall quality of care and well-being. The rationale for this study was to use theater as a communicative tool by playing stories related to some important healthcare issues. The specific goal was to study the effectiveness of a specially designed theater intervention in enhancing psychological well-being and awareness of some aspects such as the doctor-patient relationships, communication skills, pro-social behavior, and empathy. A pre- and post-experience questionnaire was used to track the audience's response. The results indicate that theater can efficiently promote well-being and spread crucial awareness about healthcare-related issues. Furthermore, the study underscores the varying perceptions and evaluations of health-related topics among individuals based on their age. Finally, we would like to underlie that theatre can also be a valuable tool for health communication. Clinical trial numberNot applicable.

Background: Stroke is currently the second leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia (SA), with an annual incidence rate of 29 per 100,000 people. There is a huge demand for rehabilitation services for people who have had a stroke living in the community; however, the services in SA do not meet this need due to a lack of community rehabilitation services. Additionally, rehabilitation staff have reported a lack of knowledge and skills to deliver rehabilitation services for people post-stroke in the community. A first step towards developing these services is to train professionals working in this area to deliver community-based rehabilitation for patients with stroke. This is the first study to evaluate an online stroke training programme (STP) for physiotherapists in SA to enhance stroke care and enable them to deliver long-term care following the discharge of stroke patients.

Methods: A sequential mixed methods design was adopted with three measurements undertaken pre-training, post-training questionnaires and one-month follow-up interviews. Participants were eligible if they were physiotherapists of any gender who were currently providing therapy to stroke patients and working in SA. The STP consisted of four modules and was delivered via an online platform. Questionnaires developed for this study were key outcome measures used to measure the change in the participants' knowledge, confidence and attitude. Chi-Square test and Wilcoxon test were used to compare pre- and post-training results.

Results: Twenty-six physiotherapists completed the STP. The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in the participants' knowledge and confidence in providing long-term care for patients with stroke. Additionally, the STP had a positive impact on the participants' attitudes. Qualitative interviews post-training suggested that participants' experiences of STP were positive. However, the training had limitations such as the lack of practical content and a short duration.

Conclusion: The STP was seen to be acceptable and found to improve participants' knowledge and confidence in delivering long-term care for patients with stroke in this study. Future research should focus on evaluating impact of training in improvements in service delivery by physiotherapists.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a versatile and cost-effective technology that can significantly enhance medical education and clinical practice. This study examines the acceptance of POCUS among medical students and explores strategies to optimize its integration into their training.

Materials and methods: A total of 318 medical students, spanning both preclinical and clinical semesters, participated in seminars that included POCUS demonstrations and hands-on practice. Their perceptions were assessed through a voluntary questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which furthermore explored the ideal timing and potentially suitable subjects for integrating POCUS into the curriculum, with an emphasis on its role in developing clinical skills and supporting decision-making.

Results: Among preclinical students, 60.7% had no prior ultrasound exposure, while 97% of clinical students reported some experience, albeit often limited. Despite the majority of senior students having some ultrasound experience, many lacked confidence in its use. Confidence in sonography skills was generally low across both groups, with 95.9% of preclinical and 79.4% of clinical students expressing a lack of confidence. Importantly, both preclinical and clinical students recognized the high usefulness of POCUS skills and rated the technology as user-friendly, with clinical students perceiving it as slightly easier to use. When asked to identify the most suitable subjects for POCUS training, students most frequently cited anatomy (35.2%) and internal medicine (16.7%). Additionally, a majority of students (57.7%) advocated for POCUS education to begin as early as the first semester.

Conclusion: This study highlights a significant gap in ultrasound training among medical students, while also underscoring their strong motivation to learn and their positive perception of POCUS as a valuable tool for enhancing clinical skills and decision-making. The findings emphasize that early integration of sonography into the medical curriculum is both highly desired by students and essential for advancing medical education. This is particularly timely and important given the growing role of artificial intelligence in ultrasound technology and the opportunities expected to emerge from this integration.

Objectives: A cricothyrotomy represents an emergency procedure that may be considered a last option for securing the airway. While fortunately rare, it is important to note that such invasive procedures must be mastered if they are to be used. Therefore, regular training is essential to gain routine. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether professional groups with different levels of experience with the procedure succeed in learning the procedure with a virtual reality trainer.

Materials and methods: In a multicenter approach, 146 employees with four different professional backgrounds-otorhinolaryngologists, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians and certified nurses-were included in the study. The participants were required to complete a virtual reality (VR) cricothyrotomy scenario in three consecutive runs, and the time required and errors in the procedure were recorded. The training experience was subsequently evaluated subjectively using a questionnaire.

Results: The study included 146 participants with an average age of 33 years and an average of 5 years of professional experience. The majority of participants (74%) reported an improvement in the speed of the procedure and in the procedural steps (87%). These subjective improvements were confirmed objectively by the time required for completion of the procedure and the points achieved. Gaming experience had a significant effect on both the score (p = 0.023) and procedure time (p = 0.039), whereas age and medical specialization did not. Real-life experience with cricothyrotomy had no significant effect on performance in VR.

Conclusion: Virtual reality provides an effective method for training healthcare professionals in cricothyrotomy, regardless of their specialty or prior experience. The participants showed significant improvements in both the speed and accuracy of the procedure after training, regardless of their prior experience or medical background. Further research is necessary to assess the benefits of VR simulation for training cricothyrotomy in real-world procedures.

Trial registration: DRKS00031736, registered on the 20th of April 2023.

Recognizing the systemic exclusion of structurally oppressed groups from academic awards, the ENRRICH (Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research In Child Health) summer studentship emphasized the inclusion of structurally oppressed groups. Herein, we outline the processes in creating this funding opportunity, and plans for improvement, including enhanced representation among supervisors.