Practice of universal precautions among healthcare workers

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to bloodborne infections by pathogens, such as HIV, and hepatitis B and C viruses, as they perform their clinical activities in the hospital. Compliance with universal precautions has been shown to reduce the risk of exposure to blood and body fluids. This study was aimed at assessing the observance of universal precautions by HCWs in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in September 2003 in Abeokuta metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria. The respondents were doctors, trained and auxiliary nurses, laboratory scientists and domestic staff. They were selected through a multistage sampling technique from public and private healthcare facilities within the metropolis. The instrument was an interviewer-administered, semistructured questionnaire that assessed the practice of recapping and disposal of used needles, use of barrier equipment, handwashing and screening of transfused blood. RESULTS: There were 433 respondents, 211 (48.7%) of which were trained nurses. About a third of all respondents always recapped used needles. Compliance with nonrecapping of used needles was highest among trained nurses and worst with doctors. Less than two-thirds of respondents (63.8%) always used personal protective equipment, and more than half of all respondents (56.5%) had never worn goggles during deliveries and at surgeries. The provision of sharps containers and screening of transfused blood by the institutions studied was uniformly high. A high percentage (94.6%) of HCWs observed handwashing after handling patients. The use of barrier equipment was variable in the institutions studied. CONCLUSION: Recapping of used needles is prevalent in the health facilities studied. Noncompliance with universal precautions place Nigerian HCWs at significant health risks. Training programs and other relevant measures should be put in place to promote the appropriate use of protective barrier equipment by HCWs at all times.     

Knowledge of cultural competence among third-year medical students

An increasingly diverse population and ongoing health disparities have brought national attention to cultural competence training in medical schools. However, few data exist on medical students' knowledge in cultural competence. The purpose of this study is to assess medical students' knowledge in cultural competence to identify training areas for curriculum development. All third-year medical students at a single institution during the period of November 2001 to February 2004 completed a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of cultural competence during their medicine clerkship. The 40-item questionnaire measured several domains of cultural competence: health disparities, stereotyping, exploring culture, perceptions of health and illness, and communication/language. The mean knowledge score was 55%, and no student scored >80%. Race and prior cultural training were not predictors of overall performance.     

Behavioral-diagnostic analysis of compliance with universal precautions among nurses

This study used the PRECEDE model (L.W. Green, M.W. Kreuter, S.G. Deeds, & K.B. Partridge, 1980) to examine individual, job-task, and environmental-organizational factors related to compliance with universal precautions (UP) among nurses. Structural equation modeling showed that the hypothesized model did a better job predicting general compliance (R2 = .41) than compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE; R2 = .18). All 3 categories of diagnostic factors (predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing) influenced general compliance, but predisposing factors were relatively unimportant for compliance with PPE. With a set of nested models, the greatest improvement in model fit occurred when the indirect effects of reinforcing factors were added. A positive safety climate may increase the likelihood that the work environment will contain features that enable workers to comply with safe work practices.     

General Practice as a career choice among undergraduate medical students in Greece

Background  

Although General Practice (GP) was recognized as a medical specialty in Greece in 1986, the number of GPs is insufficient to cover needs and only few medical graduates choose GP as a career option. In the present study we investigated the profile of medical students in terms of their decisions regarding specialization and the possible association of career choices different from GP with the status of undergraduate training regarding GP.     

Anatomy in medical education: Perceptions of undergraduate medical students

AimThe best method to teach anatomy is widely debated. A shift away from cadaveric dissection in UK medical schools towards newer approaches has taken place without adequate evaluation of their suitability. The impact of this on future anatomical and surgical competencies is unclear. We assessed student perceptions to different methods of anatomy teaching.MethodsAll 2nd year students at Leeds School of Medicine were invited to complete a matrix-grid questionnaire. Participants were asked to score six methods of anatomy teaching (dissection; prosection; lectures; models; PC software packages; living & radiological anatomy) using a 5-point Likert-type scale on the ability to achieve nine learning objectives. Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney analyses suitable for non-parametric data were used to evaluate differences in scores between teaching methods.Results170 students (71%) responded to the survey. Overall, dissection was the single highest scored method, followed by prosection. Newer approaches such as models, computer software packages and living & radiological anatomy scored comparatively worse. The most suitable method for achieving individual learning objectives was variable with dissection perceived as most suitable for four out of nine objectives.ConclusionsCadaveric dissection is a favourable approach for achieving important learning objectives in the field of anatomy. Further evaluation of teaching methods is required prior to changes being made in the curricula of UK medical schools.     

Psychological morbidity,sources of stress and coping strategies among undergraduate medical students of Nepal

Background  

In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the issues of quality of life and stresses involved medical training as this may affect their learning and academic performance. However, such studies are lacking in medical schools of Nepal. Therefore, we carried out this study to assess the prevalence of psychological morbidity, sources and severity of stress and coping strategies among medical students in our integrated problem-stimulated undergraduate medical curriculum.     

Depression among medical students

304 first- and second-year medical students were prospectively assessed for depression with a monthly Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Students scoring above nine on the BDI and a control group were then interviewed with the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. The incidence of major depression or probable major depression by DSM-III criteria during the first two years of medical school was 12%. The lifetime prevalence was 15%, three times greater than the rate in the general population. An episode of depression prior to medical school was much more common among the depressed students (69 vs. 8%, P less than 0.001) as was a family history of treated depression (46 vs. 21%, P less than 0.025). The elevated rate of depression during medical school does not appear to be a result of the medical school experience alone. Rather, it suggests a positive bias of unknown nature in the selection of students predisposed to depression.     

Oral cancer awareness of undergraduate medical and dental students

Background  

The incidence of oral cancer is increasing in the United Kingdom. Early detection of oral cancers makes them more amenable to treatment and allows the greatest chance of cure. Delay in presentation and/or referral has a significant effect on the associated morbidity and mortality. Lack of general medical practitioner and general dental practitioner oral cancer knowledge has been shown to contribute to delays in referral and treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the oral cancer awareness of future general medical and general dental practitioners by assessing undergraduate medical and dental students' knowledge of prevention and early detection of oral cancer.     

Knowledge and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine among medical students in Turkey

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine knowledge and attitudes towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine among medical students in Turkey, and find out whether they want to be trained in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). METHOD: S: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2010 among medical students. Data were collected from a total of seven medical schools. FINDINGS: The study included 943 medical students. The most well known methods among the students were herbal treatment (81.2%), acupuncture (80.8%), hypnosis (78.8%), body-based practices including massage (77%) and meditation (65.2%), respectively. Acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal treatment and meditation were better known among female participants compared to males (p<0.05). Females and first year students, generally had more positive attitudes. A larger proportion of female students compared to male students reported that a doctor should be knowledgeable about CAM (p=0.001), and this knowledge would be helpful in their future professional lives (p=0.015). Positive attitudes towards and willingness to receive training declined as the number of years spent in the faculty of medicine increased. CONCLUSION: Majority of the medical students were familiar with the CAM methods widely used in Turkey, while most of them had positive attitudes towards CAM as well as willingness to receive training on the subject, and they were likely to recommend CAM methods to their patients in their future professional lives. With its gradual scientific development and increasing popularity, there appears a need for a coordinated policy in integrating CAM into the medical curriculum, by taking expectations of and feedback from medical students into consideration in setting educational standards.     

Blood pressure profiles among Makerere University undergraduate students

The purpose of this study was to set reference values for spot blood pressure and its derivatives among Makerere university undergraduate students.

Study Design     

Communication behaviours of undergraduate medical students before and after training

There is an increasing concern in developing methods to teach communication behaviours to undergraduate medical students. A literature review revealed that there is no research on specific programmes. We hypothesized that undergraduate medical students had poor communication behaviours and would improve with specific training. To test that hypothesis 23 medical students at the University of Lagos went through a training programme in communication behaviours. There was a significant improvement in communication behaviours after training.     

Evaluation of a web-based ECG-interpretation programme for undergraduate medical students

Background  

Most clinicians and teachers agree that knowledge about ECG is of importance in the medical curriculum. Students at Karolinska Institutet have asked for more training in ECG-interpretation during their undergraduate studies. Clinical tutors, however, have difficulties in meeting these demands due to shortage of time. Thus, alternative ways to learn and practice ECG-interpretation are needed. Education offered via the Internet is readily available, geographically independent and flexible. Furthermore, the quality of education may increase and become more effective through a superior educational approach, improved visualization and interactivity.     

Problem-based learning in medical informatics for undergraduate medical students: an experiment in two medical schools

PURPOSE: The objective of this work was to assess problem-based learning (PBL) as a method for teaching information and communication technology in medical informatics (MI) courses. A study was conducted in the Schools of Medicine of Rennes and Rouen (France) with third-year medical students. METHODS: The "PBL-in-MI" sessions included a first tutorial group meeting, then personal work, followed by a second tutorial group meeting. A problem that simulated practice and was focused on information technology was discussed. In Rouen, the students were familiar with PBL, and they enrolled on a voluntary basis, while in Rennes, the students were first-ever participants in PBL courses, and the program was mandatory. One hundred and seventy-seven students participated in the PBL-in-MI sessions and were given a questionnaire in order to evaluate qualitatively the sessions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The response rate was 92.1%. The overall opinion of the students was good. 69.8% responded positively to the program. In Rouen, where the students participated in PBL-in-MI sessions on a voluntary basis, the students were significantly more enthusiastic about PBL-in-MI. Moreover, attitudes and opinions of students are plausibly related to differences in previous PBL skills. The fact that the na?ve group had two tutors, one trained and one na?ve as the students, has been investigated. Teacher naivety was an explanatory factor for the differences between Rennes and Rouen.