Changing Attitudes towards Occupational Medicine with Blended Learning Methods Is Possible among Medical Students in Spain: A Longitudinal Study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Iguacel I
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8775897 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BACKGROUND: Family and community medicine (FM) became a recognized specialty in Spain in 1978; however, most medical schools in Spain still lack mandatory core courses in FM. In order to explore the perceptions, expectations and level of information amongst medical students in Spain in relation to FM and PC, and the training in these areas in the curriculum of the Medical Schools, a survey was developed to be administered in medical schools every two years. This article presents data from the first questionnaire administration. METHODS: The study population was all first-, third-, and fifth-year students (2009-2010) in 22 participating medical schools in Spain (of 27 total). The 83-item survey had three sections: personal data, FM training, professional practice expectations, and preferences). Chi-squared test or analyses of variance were used, as appropriate. RESULTS: We had a 41.8% response rate (n = 5299/12924); 89.8% considered the social role of FM to be essential, while only 20% believed the specialty was well respected within the medical profession. The appeal of FM increased with years of study, independent of student characteristics or medical school attended. Among third and fifth-year students, 54.6% said their specialty preferences had changed during medical school; 73.6% felt that FM specialists should teach FM courses, and 83.3% thought that FM rotations in primary care centres were useful. CONCLUSIONS: Students valued the social role of FM more highly than its scientific standing. The vast majority believe that FM training should be mandatory. Only 25% of first-year students have clear preferences for a specialization. Interest in FM increases moderately over their years of study. Working conditions in FM have decisive influence in choosing a specialty.
| S-EPMC3436784 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background Despite the fact that family medicine (FM) has become established as a specialty in the past 25 years, this has not been reflected in the inclusion of the specialty in the majority of medical schools in Spain. Almost 40% of the students will work in primary care but, in spite of this, most universities do not have an assessed placement as such. There are only specific practice periods in health centres or some student-selected components with little weight in the overall curricula. Objectives To evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of medical students about FM in the health system and their perception about the need for specific training in FM at the undergraduate level. To explore change over time of these attitudes and perceptions and to examine potential predictive factors for change. Finally, we will review what teaching activity in FM is offered across the Spanish schools of medicine. Methods Descriptive cross-sectional survey. Each one of the different analyses will consist of two surveys: one for all the students in the first, third and fifth year of medical school in all the Spanish schools of medicine asking about their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes in relation to primary care and FM. There will be an additional survey for the coordinating faculty of the study in each university about the educational activities related to FM that are carried out in their centres. The repetition of the study every 2 years will allow for an analysis of the evolution of the cohort of students until they receive their degree and the potential predictive factors. Discussion This study will provide useful information for strategic planning decisions, content and educational methodology in medical schools in Spain and elsewhere. It will also help to evaluate the influence of the ongoing changes in FM, locally and at the European level, on the attitudes and perceptions of the students towards FM in Spain.
| S-EPMC3278481 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe global population of individuals with gender diversity or LGBTQ+ people is on the rise. However, negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals persist, even among healthcare professionals, creating barriers to healthcare access. These attitudes are influenced by cultural variations worldwide and necessitate investigation across diverse cultures and settings.ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people and describe associated factors with being LGBTQ+ among Thai medical students.MethodsDuring the 2021 academic year, a survey was conducted at a medical school in Bangkok, Thailand, collecting demographic data and attitudes measured by a standardised Thai questionnaire. Descriptive statistics as well as bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to describe characteristics and association.ResultsA total of 806 medical students participated, with a neutral attitude being the most prevalent (72.2%), followed by a positive attitude (27.2%), and a minority reporting a negative attitude (0.6%). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between positive attitudes and female sexual identity (aOR 2.02, 95%CI 1.45-2.81, p-value < 0.001), having LGBTQ+ family members (aOR 3.57, 95%CI 1.23-10.34, p-value = 0.019), having LGBTQ+ friend (aOR 1.46, 95%CI 1.02-2.11, p-value = 0.040), and coming from areas outside of Bangkok (aOR 1.41, 95%CI 1.01-1.97, p-value = 0.043).ConclusionPositive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community are essential for physicians, emphasising the need to study factors that contribute to positive attitudes in order to foster an LGBTQ+-friendly environment for both patients and medical students.
| S-EPMC10721166 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Student feedback is a critical component of the teacher-learner cycle. However, there is not a gold standard course or clerkship evaluation form and limited research on the impact of changing the evaluation process. Results from a focus group and pre-implementation feedback survey coupled with best practices in survey design were used to improve all course/clerkship evaluation for academic year 2013-2014. In spring 2014 we asked all subjected students in University of Utah School of Medicine, United States of America to complete the same feedback survey (post-implementation survey). We assessed the evaluation climate with 3 measures on the feedback survey: overall satisfaction with the evaluation process; time students gave effort to the process; and time students used shortcuts. Scores from these measures were compared between 2013 and 2014 with Mann-Whitney U-tests. Response rates were 79% (254) for 2013 and 52% (179) for 2014. Students' overall satisfaction score were significantly higher (more positive) post-implementation compared to pre-implementation (P<0.001). There was no change in the amount of time students gave effort to completing evaluations (P=0.981) and no change for the amount of time they used shortcuts to complete evaluations (P=0.956). We were able to change overall satisfaction with the medical school evaluation culture, but there was no change in the amount of time students gave effort to completing evaluations and times they used shortcuts to complete evaluations. To ensure accurate evaluation results we will need to focus our efforts on time needed to complete course evaluations across all four years.
| S-EPMC4789567 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundUndocumented migration to developed countries poses practical concerns, as migrants are not medically insured. This cross-sectional study aims to appraise the attitudes of Israeli medical students towards the uninsured migrant population.MethodsParticipants from five medical schools in Israel completed anonymous questionnaires in Hebrew, based on the "Medical Students' Attitudes Toward the Underserved" (MSATU), which assessed students' attitudes regarding the professional responsibility and societal expectations towards the migrants. It also evaluated students' views of the migrants as eligible for expensive medical procedures.ResultsA total of 891 students completed the survey with a median age of 28?years. The majority were Jews (N?=?816, 91.6%) and singles (N?=?681, 68.5%). Participants in the pre-clinical years were likely to be female and unmarried compared to those in clinical training. They also demonstrated higher scores on professional responsibilities and societal expectations than students in clinical training, but no significant differences were found in their views on expensive medical services. Students of minorities (non-Jews and migrants) scored higher on professional responsibilities and societal expectations. The scores for professional responsibilities and societal expectations decreased as students progressed in their medical training (Spearman coefficient p?=?0.04 and p?=?0.01, respectively). This trend was more apparent in males rather than females.ConclusionMSATU scores declined as students progressed through medical school, with females maintaining more favorable attitudes than males. Medical schools should attempt to maintain the enthusiasm and idealism that students possess as they enter medical training and provide clinical experience with migrant populations that allows for cross-cultural communication.
| S-EPMC7071779 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPeople with substance use disorder, and pregnant women especially, are subject to a lot of stigmas, which can prevent optimal accessibility and quality of care. In this survey, we investigated attitudes of final year medical students regarding substance use during pregnancy and identified the factors that influence these attitudes.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 and 2020 in Belgium using the short version of the "Substance Abuse Attitude Survey" questionnaire. We focused on two items regarding punishment of substance use during pregnancy. We analysed the concordance between these two, their correlation with other items (e.g. stereotyping, morality, forced withdrawal, low treatment optimism) and the association between respondents' opinion on punishment and their sociodemographic data.ResultsThe response rate was 65.2% (370/567 online and face-to face questionnaires). 19.2% of respondents were in favour of punishment for alcohol use (n = 353) and 15.1% for drug use (n = 356) during pregnancy. The agreement analysis between the two items showed that 14.3% of students were in favour of punishing both pregnant women who use drugs and those using alcohol. Respondents tended to be more in favour of punishment if they were male students, older, their mothers' had a lower education level or had no personal or family history of substance use. Attitudes appeared to be more punitive among students with limited contact with people with substance use disorder (i.e. none or limited to hospital). Students intending to specialise in internal medicine were more in favour of punishment of women whereas none of those intending to specialise in psychiatry were in favour.ConclusionOur study shows that about 20% of surveyed medical students favoured punishing substance-using pregnant women. Awareness and training work seems to be necessary to ensure adequate care and support for this already vulnerable population.
| S-EPMC9060417 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesArtificial intelligence (AI) is used in a variety of contexts in medicine. This involves the use of algorithms and software that analyze digital information to make diagnoses and suggest adapted therapies. It is unclear, however, what medical students know about AI in medicine, how they evaluate its application, and what they expect from their medical training accordingly. In the study presented here, we aimed at providing answers to these questions.MethodsIn this survey study, we asked medical students about their assessment of AI in medicine and recorded their ideas and suggestions for considering this topic in medical education. Fifty-eight medical students completed the survey.ResultsAlmost all participants were aware of the use of AI in medicine and had an adequate understanding of it. They perceived AI in medicine to be reliable, trustworthy, and technically competent, but did not have much faith in it. They considered AI in medicine to be rather intelligent but not anthropomorphic. Participants were interested in the opportunities of AI in the medical context and wanted to learn more about it. They indicated that basic AI knowledge should be taught in medical studies, in particular, knowledge about modes of operation, ethics, areas of application, reliability, and possible risks.ConclusionsWe discuss the implications of these findings for the curricular development in medical education. Medical students need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to use AI effectively and ethically in their future practice. This includes understanding the limitations and potential biases of AI algorithms by teaching the sensible use of human oversight and continuous monitoring to catch errors in AI algorithms and ensure that final decisions are made by human clinicians.
| S-EPMC10704950 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to specific types of cancer, can be prevented by vaccination. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students about HPV and its vaccine as well as their intentions towards personal vaccination. A total of 536 Spanish nursing students were invited to complete the Spanish version of the questionnaire "Knowledge, attitudes and intentions towards HPV". Overall, 367 surveys were completed (68.4% response rate). Data analysis included the calculation of three scores: the knowledge score, categorized into low (<33%), moderate (33%-66%), and good knowledge (>66%); the attitude score, sorted into positive (<2.5), neutral (2.5-3.5), and negative attitude (>3.5); and the intention score, categorized into not favorable (<4), neutral (4-7), and favorable intention (>7). Knowledge about HPV and its vaccine was moderate (54.34 ± 0.9%), and the attitude towards vaccination was positive (2.34 ± 0.03). The intention towards personal vaccination increased significantly after completing the questionnaire (before: 4.14 ± 0.27, after: 6.02 ± 0.28; p < 0.001). The present study highlights the need of training future nurses about HPV and its vaccine, considering the important role it plays in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
| S-EPMC6888169 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study aimed to investigate changes in awareness, attitudes, acceptability, and possible barriers to using Arabicized medical terms in teaching and daily communication in medical colleges in Jordan. Using a cross-sectional online survey, medicine students and professors in Jordanian universities were sampled to survey their awareness, attitudes, and barriers toward Arabicized medical terms. Responses to the surveys were quantified into awareness, attitudes, and barriers scores and compared according to the sociodemographic variables of the study sample. Results of the current study showed positive awareness/acceptability and attitudes among medicine students toward Arabicized medical terms. The most common perceived barriers toward Arabicization among medicine students were that teaching and assessments (exams, quizzes, projects, etc.) are in English and the unavailability of valuable medical references that use Arabic terms. Several demographic variables were associated with acceptability, attitudes, and/or barriers toward Arabicized terms among medicine students, including gender, income, place of living, level of medicine study, having more than one mother tongue, and language proficiency. Medicine university professors showed acceptable awareness and generally positive attitudes toward Arabicized terms. The most frequently cited barriers among medicine professors were in concordance with those pointed out by medicine students, which indicates the validity of these barriers. Gender and English language proficiency were the only factors associated with acceptability, attitudes, and/or barriers toward Arabicized terms among medicine university professors. In conclusion, the current study indicated a generally more suitable environment for utilizing Arabicized medical terms, especially when delineating major barriers facing medicine students and professors.
| S-EPMC9747590 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInterprofessional Education (IPE) aims to improve students' attitudes towards collaboration, teamwork, and leads to improved patient care upon graduation. However, the best time to introduce IPE into the undergraduate curriculum is still under debate.MethodsWe used a mixed-methods design based on a sequential explanatory model. Medical students from all six years at the University of Bern, Switzerland (n = 683) completed an online survey about attitudes towards interprofessional learning using a scale validated for German speakers (G-IPAS). Thirty-one medical students participated in nine semi-structured interviews focusing on their experience in interprofessional learning and on the possible impact it might have on their professional development.ResultsWomen showed better attitudes in the G-IPAS across all years (p = 0,007). Pre-clinical students showed more positive attitudes towards IPE [Year 1 to Year 3 (p = 0.011)]. Students correctly defined IPE and its core dimensions. They appealed for more organized IPE interventions throughout the curriculum. Students also acknowledged the relevance of IPE for their future professional performance.ConclusionsThese findings support an early introduction of IPE into the medical curriculum. Although students realise that interprofessional learning is fundamental to high-quality patient care, there are still obstacles and stereotypes to overcome.Trial registrationISRCTN 41715934.
| S-EPMC7577478 | biostudies-literature