Values exchange: using online technology to raise awareness of values and ethics in radiography education

Fostering public health ethics awareness among medical students through interactive web-based values exchange learning: A cross-sectional study

Medical ethics have traditionally encountered resistance in medical education, with doubts regarding their necessity during preclinical years. Concerns include the practical application of theoretical ethics and favoring the learning of ethics through observation and imitation. Furthermore, ethics courses often focus on codes and regulations and neglect the promotion of moral reasoning and decision-making skills. Therefore, enhancing ethical researcher-training modules is essential for advancing instructional methods and promoting a unified and interactive learning atmosphere. A 3-week course was conducted using the values exchange (VX) online platform to assess the effectiveness of the VX system in involving students and its impact on their perceptions of the importance of research ethics. Accordingly, a blended course was provided as an optional course to the students, and a qualitative course evaluation survey was administered at the end of the course. Sixty-one medical students participated in a pilot-blended research ethics program and the majority (93%) reported a positive learning experience. The course was preferred over traditional classroom-based courses by 80% of the respondents, with 77% reporting increased interest and motivation to study Research Ethics. Over half of the students (57%) reported that the course stimulated their thinking and changed their perspectives on handling medical research issues. Some students (20%) reported improvements in their social and information technology skills. The VX platform was able to meet the expectations of both faculty and students, and fulfilled all dimensions of the Health Professions Learning Environment Conceptual Framework. The VX platform provides an interactive and effective simulated learning environment that promotes ethical research aligned with the Health Professions Learning Environment Framework and fosters core competencies, such as ethical reasoning, decision-making, and cultural respect. Medical schools are encouraged to implement VX to enhance the teaching of research ethics.

Interdisciplinary interprofessional education using an online learning environment called values exchange: A qualitative investigation

INTRODUCTION

Interprofessional education (IPE) is implemented throughout the curricula of student healthcare professions as it is understood to provide positive impact on patient outcomes in the clinical environment. There are different methods to provide IPE such as through online learning or traditional face-to-face methods. However, there is a lack of research surrounding the use of Online Learning Environments (OLEs) to teach IPE.

METHODS

In a pilot study, seventy-one undergraduate radiography students and twenty Master of Pharmacy students engaged in an ethical scenario using the OLE, Values Exchange (Vx). Following the activity, students were invited to complete an open-ended response question. Fourteen students responded and these data were used for qualitative analysis.

RESULTS

A thematic analysis of the students' open-ended responses found the emergence of three major themes, namely; understanding the roles of other healthcare professionals, developing self-reflection skills and, preparing for the clinical environment. Students suggested that additional time allocated for undertaking the study would benefit their engagement in the activity. Students would benefit from added engagement in the Vx task in both the short and long term for IPE.

CONCLUSION

Students are receptive in utilising contemporary approaches such as OLEs in furthering their IPE. Positive interpretations and suggestions by both radiography and pharmacy students in this study demonstrate how Vx as an OLE teaching tool can be used effectively. OLEs can overcome barriers that exist in face-to-face education experiences. OLEs should be considered for greater use within academic curricula of healthcare professions, but only if they have been evaluated for effectiveness.

Pharmacy graduates' perceived impact of long-term undergraduate use of an ethical decision-support tool on their early practice

INTRODUCTION

Values-based practice is an important concept within healthcare decision-making that sits alongside evidence-based practice. Values Exchange (Vx) (http://www.vxcommunity.com) is an online tool that supports the development of ethical and professional decision-making skills through values transparency. The aim of this research was to explore the perceived impact of long-term use of the tool during undergraduate study on pharmacy graduates' early practice.

METHODS

Alumni in their pre-registration year or up to two years qualified were invited to participate via a question at the end of a survey, with additional students invited prospectively during an undergraduate lecture. All had completed three cases per year on Vx during the four-year master of pharmacy course. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and framework analysis was applied. Ethical approval was obtained.

RESULTS

A total of 18 interviews (nine pharmacists and nine pre-registration tutees) were conducted between May 2015 and March 2016. Thirteen participants were female, 13 were based in community pharmacy, and 10 were Caucasian. Interviews ranged from 50 min to 2 hours. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) the Vx learning environment, (2) learning and reflection, and (3) potential enhancements for learning. Participants perceived Vx to be an effective teaching tool supporting the development of skills necessary to exercise professional judgement in pharmacy practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Vx appears to be a worthy addition to the armoury of teaching methods necessary to support future pharmacists in their preparedness to deal with ethical and professional dilemmas in practice.

Can we adequately teach ethics and ethical decision making via distant learning? A pandemic pilot

The Corona virus pandemic rendered most live education this spring term impossible. Other formats and new ideas were needed to offer students the opportunity to learn unchanged learning content and outcomes. To replace our module on ethics and ethical decision making in emergency medicine with simulation patients we developed an e-learning module consisting of a case, trigger questions and literature for self-study. This was followed by a Microsoft Teams seminar in which the students discussed their questions in subgroups on the basis of their reading and developed a team product they then presented to the other team. Students valued this module as enabling a safe space for their beliefs and views. A vast majority deemed the topics as relevant, two thirds would retake the seminar. Despite a productive online discourse, this format should not be used as sole module under normal conditions since it lacks the (simulation) patient interaction but it can prove to be a valuable addendum to live teaching.

An empirical investigation into the role of values in occupational therapy decision-making

Introduction

The importance of values in occupational therapy is generally agreed; however, there is no consensus about their nature or their influence on practice. It is widely assumed that occupational therapists hold and act on a body of shared values, yet there is a lack of evidence to support this.

Method

The research tested the hypothesis that occupational therapists’ responses to ethically challenging situations would reveal common values specific to the occupational therapy profession. A total of 156 occupational therapists were asked to decide what should be done in five common-place yet ethically complex situations, presented as scenarios for debate.

Results

The results show that while most occupational therapists share very general values, they frequently disagree about what to do in practice situations, often justifying their choices with different and sometimes conflicting specific values. In some cases, the same respondents espouse contradictory values in similar situations.

Conclusion

The extensive literature about decision-making – together with the study’s results – confirm that when occupational therapists make decisions, they draw on multiple factors, consciously and unconsciously. These factors vary between individuals. Value judgements are one part only of a complex process which includes personal experience, intuition, social influences, culture, psychological influences and relationships with both colleagues and clients.

Values exchange: using online technology to raise awareness of values and ethics in radiography education

INTRODUCTION

Ethics and values are increasingly significant aspects of patient-centred healthcare. While it is widely agreed that ethics and values are essential for healthcare delivery, there is also an acknowledgement that these are areas that are challenging to teach. The purpose of this study is to report a small-scale evaluative research project of a web-based technology with the educational potential to facilitate learning in relation to ethics, values, self-reflection and peer-based learning.

METHODS

Five diagnostic radiography students took part in a semi-structured focus group with the aim of exploring their experiences of using Values Exchange, an online ethical decision-making framework, to examine practice-based ethical issues. Transcripts were interrogated for key themes.

RESULTS

From the thematic analysis three major themes emerged, understanding and appreciating others, addressing the theory-practice gap and delivering a safe and effective learning environment. Perceived limitations of the platform included students' fear of misinterpreted responses and possibility of poor group dynamics.

CONCLUSIONS

There are varied approaches to how ethics and values are taught and assessed within health-related environments. Values Exchange is one such teaching tool and has been investigated and described positively by radiography students in this study. Online teaching tools can have a positive effect in helping students identify their own values but require skilled implementation to reap positive rewards.