Medical education in the new millennium

The effect of high- and low-fidelity simulators in learning heart and lung sounds by undergraduate nurses: a randomized controlled trial

Aim: To determine the effects of high- and low-fidelity simulators on student nurses' learning of heart and lung sounds.Background: Simulation is an important part of nursing education because it helps to improve patient care and provides patient security.Method: The sample consisted of 3rd and 4th year students who studied at a nursing faculty in Istanbul between April and June 2017. In this randomized controlled experimental study, students were randomly divided into 2 groups, the high-fidelity simulator group (HFS group, n = 36), and the low-fidelity simulator group (LFS group, n = 35).Results: The auscultation skill levels of the HFS group were significantly higher post-training in comparison to the pre-training measurement (P < .05). There were no significant differences in the auscultation skill levels of the LFS group between the pretest and posttest measurements.Conclusion: The use of high-fidelity simulators is more effective in the learning of heart and lung sounds by student nurses than low-fidelity simulators.

Real-World Evidence from the Integrative Medicine Primary Care Trial (IMPACT): Assessing Patient-Reported Outcomes at Baseline and 12-Month Follow-Up

Purpose

The University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (UAIHC) was an innovative membership-supported integrative medicine (IM) adult primary care clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. UAIHC delivered healthcare using an integrative medicine model that combined conventional and complementary medical treatments, including nutrition, mind-body medicine, acupuncture, manual medicine, health coaching, educational classes, and groups. Results from pre-post evaluation of patient-reported outcomes on several standardized measures are presented here.

Methods

UAIHC patients completed surveys at baseline and after 12 months of continuous integrative primary care. Patients reported on perceived changes in health outcomes as measured by Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12 general, mental, and physical health), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS4), Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI), World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (VAS; FSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD2), Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ2), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global rating of sleep quality, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS; nutrition, exercise, and physical activity). Overall differences between time points were assessed for statistical significance. Patient demographics are also described.

Results

177 patients completed baseline and follow-up outcome measures. Patients were predominantly white, female, college-educated, and employed. Baseline to one-year follow-up results indicate statistically significant improvements (p <.05) on all but perceived stress (PSS-4) and work absenteeism (WPAI). Clinical impact and/or practical effects are reported as percent change or standardized effect sizes whenever possible. Other demographic and descriptive information is summarized.

Conclusions

Following one year of IM primary care at UAIHC, patient-reported outcomes indicated positive impacts in several areas of patients' lives: mental, physical, and overall health; work productivity; sleep quality; pain; fatigue; overall well-being; and physical activity.

Results of a survey by the European Society of Radiology (ESR): undergraduate radiology education in Europe-influences of a modern teaching approach

Objectives

The purpose of the present study is to determine in what way a conventional versus a modern medical curriculum influences teaching delivery in formal radiology education.

Methods

A web-based questionnaire was distributed by the ESR to radiology teaching staff from 93 European teaching institutions.

Results

Early exposure to radiology in pre-clinical years is typically reported in institutions with a modern curriculum. The average number of teaching hours related to radiology is similar in both curriculum types (60 h). Radiology in modern curricula is mainly taught by radiologists, radiology trainees (50%), radiographers (20%) or clinicians (17%). Mandatory clerkships are pertinent to modern curricula (55% vs. 41% conventional curriculum), which start in the first (13% vs. 4% conventional curriculum) or second year of the training (9% vs. 2% conventional curriculum). The common core in both curricula consists of radiology examinations, to work with radiology teaching files, to attend radiology conferences, and to participate in multidisciplinary meetings.

Conclusion

The influence of a modern curriculum on the formal radiology teaching is visible in terms of earlier exposure to radiology, involvement of a wider range of staff grades and range of profession involved in teaching, and radiology clerkships with more active and integrated tasks.

Main Message

• This study looks at differences in the nature of formal radiology teaching.

Effects of unique biomedical education programs for engineers: REDEEM and ESTEEM projects

Current engineering applications in the medical arena are extremely progressive. However, it is rather difficult for medical doctors and engineers to discuss issues because they do not always understand one another's jargon or ways of thinking. Ideally, medical engineers should become acquainted with medicine, and engineers should be able to understand how medical doctors think. Tohoku University in Japan has managed a number of unique reeducation programs for working engineers. Recurrent Education for the Development of Engineering Enhanced Medicine has been offered as a basic learning course since 2004, and Education through Synergetic Training for Engineering Enhanced Medicine has been offered as an advanced learning course since 2006. These programs, which were developed especially for engineers, consist of interactive, modular, and disease-based lectures (case studies) and substantial laboratory work. As a result of taking these courses, all students obtained better objective outcomes, on tests, and subjective outcomes, through student satisfaction. In this article, we report on our unique biomedical education programs for engineers and their effects on working engineers.