Building cooperation through health initiatives: an Arab and Israeli case study

Nurturing Socioculturally and Medically Appropriate Palliative Care Delivery: Lessons Learned by Israeli Medical Faculty

Israel is one of the few countries worldwide with a national policy and defined standards of palliative care (PC); its culture is highly diverse and more traditionally oriented in comparison with Western countries. This study describes the current state of PC in Israel through examination of: (1) its current status, self-image and structural factors; (2) its relation to cultural and political characteristics; and (3) the chances, goals and obstacles of advancing PC in Israel. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at all five public medical faculties in Israel from November 2017 to February 2018. The following findings are reported: (1) definition of palliative care, (2) multidisciplinary approach, (3) special role of nurses, (4) personal perceptions of death, (5) understanding the role of medicine, (6) specialty palliative medicine, (7) religious, spiritual and cultural aspects, (8) political and economic aspects, (9) obstacles and weaknesses, and (10) prospects and goals of palliative care. Participants perceive PC as an integrative healthcare service that should be available to all patients, including children and their families, at any stage of illness. They internalize that PC principles apply regardless of ethnic, cultural, and religious background. Utilizing nurses' leadership, enhancing multidisciplinary teamwork, and person-centered approach, supports better PC to more people.

Design and pilot implementation of an evaluation tool assessing professionalism, communication and collaboration during a unique global health elective

BACKGROUND

Global health electives (GHEs) allow medical students to experience different health systems, but there are few instruments to assess performance, prompting us to adapt and pilot such an instrument.

METHODS

A tool to evaluate professionalism, communication and collaboration was developed and piloted on GHE students. The main outcome measure was Faculty assessment of students, but peer assessment and self-assessment were also performed and semi-structured interviews with students were used for corroboration. The 31 items were rated using a Likert scale and marks before and after the GHE were compared.

RESULTS

The tool was sensitive to change. Students improved in each competency, the greatest change being in collaboration, which moved from 4.5/7 to 5.44/7. Qualitative analyses supported observed changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our tool, adapted from accreditation bodies' requirements, appeared to be able to discern changes in acquisition of skills in several important competencies in medical students participating in a GHE.