Online learning for undergraduate health professional education during COVID-19: Jordanian medical students' attitudes and perceptions

This chapter begins with a definition of “simulation” and outlines simulation attributes. It then discusses the purpose of simulations, distinguishing and illustrating their various categories and forms in medical and health professional education, and describes their benefits, limitations, and ways to use them effectively. The elements of effective simulations for learning, and why these are important, are then explained. To illustrate these concepts, the chapter concludes by describing health-related simulations developed in the SAGE for Learning project, including COMPS, a collaborative online multimedia problem-based simulation; COMPSoft, a software environment for creating cases and allowing learners to work through them online; HealthSimNet, a simulation for HIV/AIDS patients and professionals to experience navigating the health care system; and MIRAGE, a psychiatry prototype for medical students.

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Health professional education and practice in preventing and controlling infections in New Zealand: a review to inform strategies for enhancing practitioner competencies and patient safety

Integrated Healthcare Journal ◽

10.1136/ihj-2019-000034 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. e000034

Author(s):

Linda Gulliver ◽

Heather Brooks ◽

Linda Kinniburgh ◽

Rebecca Aburn ◽

Jo Stodart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Assurance ◽

New Zealand ◽

Medical Students ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Health Professional ◽

Professional Education ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Health Professional Education ◽

Formal Assessment ◽

Nursing Curricula

ObjectiveQuality assurance for reducing infections is a key objective of the WHO’s global action plan targeting antimicrobial resistance, yet no studies have employed a multifaceted approach to review health professional education and practice in infection prevention and control (IPC). This study completed such a review.Methods and analysisNew Zealand medical and nursing curricula were analysed for IPC-related teaching and assessment. Clinicians (undergraduate to senior) received peer-expert evaluation while performing procedures demonstrating IPC competencies. Patient and clinician self-evaluation followed. Hospital IPC practice monitoring was also reviewed.ResultsMedical curricula had approximately twice the total IPC-related theory compared with nursing (79.71 vs 41.66 hours), emphasising microbiology. IPC theory in nursing curricula was applied, emphasising health and safety. Junior nursing students were rigorously taught (16.17 hours) and assessed (2.91 hours) in practical IPC competencies, whereas little practical instruction (2.62 hours) and no formal assessment existed for junior medical students. IPC teaching chiefly occurred during medical students’ senior clinical years, and was opportunistic, rotation-specific or in introductory sessions. Senior medical and nursing students were expected to be IPC-proficient but no formal assessment occurred. Peer review generally revealed satisfactory practice, however both professions had lapses with hand hygiene, asepsis and incorrect donning, removal and use of personal protective equipment. Clinician confidence in providing and being peer-reviewed for best IPC practice, and patients’ confidence in receiving best IPC care, was positively associated with clinician experience. Trainee interns, whose confidence in IPC practice was not matched by the same desire for monitoring/feedback as senior colleagues, were the exception.ConclusionMultifaceted approaches to IPC quality assurance have utility in identifying gaps, reducing infection transmission and reassuring staff and patients.

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Diversity in health professional education scholarship: a document analysis of international author representation in leading journals

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043970 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. e043970

Author(s):

Brittany Buffone ◽

Ilena Djuana ◽

Katherine Yang ◽

Kyle J Wilby ◽

Maguy S El Hajj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Professional ◽

Professional Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Western Europe ◽

English Language ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Document Analysis ◽

Original Research ◽

Health Professional Education ◽

Eligibility Criteria

ObjectivesThe global distribution of health professionals and associated training programmes is wide but prior study has demonstrated reported scholarship of teaching and learning arises from predominantly Western perspectives.DesignWe conducted a document analysis to examine authorship of recent publications to explore current international representation.Data sourcesThe table of contents of seven high-impact English-language health professional education journals between 2008 and 2018 was extracted from Embase.Eligibility criteriaThe journals were selected according to highest aggregate ranking across specific scientific impact indices and stating health professional education in scope; only original research and review articles from these publications were included for analysis.Data extraction and synthesisThe table of contents was extracted and eligible publications screened by independent reviewers who further characterised the geographic affiliations of the publishing research teams and study settings (if applicable).ResultsA total 12 018 titles were screened and 7793 (64.8%) articles included. Most were collaborations (7048, 90.4%) conducted by authors from single geographic regions (5851, 86%). Single-region teams were most often formed from countries in North America (56%), Northern Europe (14%) or Western Europe (10%). Overall lead authorship from Asian, African or South American regions was less than 15%, 5% and 1%, respectively. Geographic representation varied somewhat by journal, but not across time.ConclusionsDiversity in health professional education scholarship, as marked by nation of authors’ professional affiliations, remains low. Under-representation of published research outside Global North regions limits dissemination of novel ideas resulting in unidirectional flow of experiences and a concentrated worldview of teaching and learning.

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