scholarly journals TP8.2.5 Taking the virtual plunge: delivering an intensive curriculum at the 'St Thomas' MRCS course' in the COVID era

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Davis ◽  
Ashish Patel ◽  
Odile Wythe ◽  
Shirley Chan

Abstract Aims The Covid-19 global pandemic changed the world. Disruption to teaching and training has been felt across medicine, but more acutely in craft specialities such as surgery. The Royal College of Surgeons has raised concerns and started a campaign: ‘no training today, no surgeons tomorrow’. Innovation and adaptation are required in this new normal. We assess the effectiveness of adapting an intensive face-to-face revision course covering essential skills and knowledge required for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examination to the virtual world. Methods Over five days interactive lectures, small-group teaching (clinical examination, communication, procedural skills), and a complete mock examination were delivered by a faculty of expert lecturers, consultants and actors live over Zoom. Feedback was collected on all aspects of the course by online survey. Sessions were marked for presentation, clarity, relevance and overall quality. Results 19 participants attended 35 sessions and six mock stations, with a total of 597 candidate sessions and 108 candidate mock stations. 94% of ratings were at least very good; 63% were excellent. Participants reported significantly improved levels of skill and knowledge (p < 0.001). Most felt skills improved from fair to very good. All candidates felt the course was well organised and allowed full participation. Conclusion Increasingly, medical education is occurring in the virtual world. Whilst this poses difficulty in craft specialities, particularly for skill acquisition, our data demonstrate high participant satisfaction. Moreover, significant improvements were seen in self-assessment of skills and knowledge as a consequence of this unique course.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Shaw ◽  
Sarah Robertson ◽  
Nadia Ranceva

Abstract Background: The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic on the 11th March 2020. As a result, the UK Government imposed severe restrictions on working and social contact as part of “lockdown.” Whilst the full extent of the pandemic’s impact on eating disorder patients is unknown, the literature suggests that patients with pre-existing mental illness may be more vulnerable to the mental health impacts. In addition, the restrictions greatly reduced the access to mental health services and presented new challenges to service delivery. A service evaluation was carried out to explore how the COVID-19 global pandemic changed service provision in a young person’s eating disorder service and how this affected patients, family and staff experiences. Methods: Quantitative data was collected in an online survey and qualitative data was collected in two formats: open ended answers as part of the online survey and open-ended focus groups, structured using narrative enquiry. The 43 participants consisted of 12 patients, 19 parents/carers, and 12 staff members. Patients were under the age of 18 and had a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Results: COVID-19 and lockdown increased the pressure on the service and changed service provision significantly. This has impacted the relational experiences for patients and their carers and staff have been faced with new challenges. Patients, parents/carers and staff all preferred face-to-face appointments over virtual options. There was no difference in service satisfaction before and during COVID-19. Conclusions: It is possible to provide a high-quality eating disorder service in lockdown restrictions. Providing face-to-face appointments at the beginning of treatment and including families in the planning should be prioritised. Staff support is crucial to be able to continue delivering high quality services. The key themes are identified, and clinical recommendations are made to guide service delivery.


Babel ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 950-972
Author(s):  
María Dolores Rodríguez Melchor ◽  
Manuela Motta ◽  
Elena Aguirre Fernández Bravo ◽  
Olga Egorova ◽  
Kate Ferguson ◽  
...  

Abstract The development of online interactive resources for interpreter training has been at the centre of the agenda in terms of pedagogical assistance and cooperation both for the European Institutions and for their partner universities. Modern videoconferencing systems and online learning technologies provide an excellent alternative to face-to-face classes, offering solutions to the problem of trainers’ availability and engaging learners in synchronous and asynchronous task-oriented activities. In this context, the European Parliament-funded ERITON project was launched in 2014 with the aim of facilitating the dissemination of best practices and enhancing collaboration between EU and non-EU partner universities in the field of conference interpreter training. Forming the strategic core of this project was the use of innovative training methodologies, such as virtual classes and virtual mock-conferences. This paper presents the pedagogical framework of the VCs and discusses the results of an online survey conducted from 2015 to 2017 among students who actively participated in the virtual classes held within the ERITON project. The aim of the survey was to obtain anonymous feedback on the technical set-up of the VCs and on the helpfulness of this format in terms of skill acquisition and progress. The results show that the new medium was well-received and appreciated by respondents, especially since it gave them the possibility to interact in ways and with people that would otherwise be impossible.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Shaw ◽  
Sarah Robertson ◽  
Nadia Ranceva

Abstract Background The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic on the 11th March 2020. As a result, the UK Government imposed severe restrictions on working and social contact as part of “lockdown.” Whilst the full extent of the pandemic’s impact on eating disorder patients is unknown, the literature suggests that patients with pre-existing mental illness may be more vulnerable to the mental health impacts. In addition, the restrictions greatly reduced the access to mental health services and presented new challenges to service delivery. A service evaluation was carried out to explore how the COVID-19 global pandemic changed service provision in a young person’s eating disorder service and how this affected patient, family and staff experiences. Methods An audit was carried out to explore how the lockdown period had impacted referrals and service delivery. Quantitative data was collected in an online survey and qualitative data was collected in two formats: open ended answers as part of the online survey and open-ended focus groups, structured using narrative enquiry. The 43 participants consisted of 12 patients, 19 parents/carers, and 12 staff members. Patients were under the age of 18 and had a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Results COVID-19 and lockdown increased the pressure on the service and changed service provision significantly. This has impacted the relational experiences for patients and their carers and staff have been faced with new challenges. Patients, parents/carers and staff all preferred face-to-face appointments over virtual options. There was no difference in service satisfaction before and during COVID-19. Conclusions It is possible to provide an eating disorder service in lockdown restrictions that patients and parents report high satisfaction with. Providing face-to-face appointments at the beginning of treatment and including families in the planning should be prioritised. Staff support is crucial to be able to continue delivering high quality services. The key themes are identified, and clinical recommendations are made to guide service delivery.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken TD Eames ◽  
Maria L Tang ◽  
Edward M Hill ◽  
Michael M Tildesley ◽  
Jonathan M Read ◽  
...  

Universities provide many opportunities for the spread of infectious respiratory illnesses. Students are brought together into close proximity from all across the world and interact with one another in their accommodation, through lectures and small group teaching and in social settings. The COVID-19 global pandemic has highlighted the need for sufficient data to help determine which of these factors are important for infectious disease transmission in universities and hence control university morbidity as well as community spillover. We describe the data from a previously unpublished self-reported university survey of coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms collected in Cambridge, UK, during winter 2007-2008. The online survey collected information on symptoms and socio-demographic, academic and lifestyle factors. There were 1076 responses, 97% from University of Cambridge students (5.7% of the total university student population), 3% from staff and <1% from other participants, reporting onset of symptoms between September 2007 and March 2008. Undergraduates are seen to report symptoms earlier in the term than postgraduates; differences in reported date of symptoms are also seen between subjects and accommodation types, although these descriptive results could be confounded by survey biases. Despite the historic and exploratory nature of the study, this is one of few recent detailed datasets of flu-like infection in a university context and is especially valuable to share now to improve understanding of potential transmission dynamics in universities during the current COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez ◽  
Alejandro Armellini ◽  
John Traxler

The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in the cancellation of face-to-face classes in Mexico, as it did across the world. This paper focuses on the experiences of 75 rural teachers in Mexico, who represent a minority in a country where approximately 80% of the population lives in urban areas. An online survey was administered to participants, who taught in a variety of schools, including K-12 and university settings. These participants shared how they changed their teaching practice, the challenges they faced, and the support they required. The digital divide represented a key challenge for both teachers and their students. In the face of inconsistent, unclear, or non-existent government support, most rural teachers showed commitment, resilience, and resourcefulness. They took control of, and responsibility for, their professional development by seeking ways to fill gaps in their knowledge and continue supporting their learners. Recommendations for institutional authorities and policy makers are discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. Meyer

Thirteen students in a graduate-level course on Historical and Policy Perspectives in Higher Education held face-to-face and online discussions on five controversial topics: Diversity, Academic Freedom, Political Tolerance, Affirmative Action, and Gender. Students read materials on each topic and generated questions for discussion that were categorized by Bloom’s taxonomy so that the level of questions in the two discussion settings would be closely parallel. Upon completion of each discussion, they answered questions that addressed depth and length of the discussion, ability to remember, and a self-assessment of how the student learned. Students’ assessments show a consistent preference for the face-to-face discussion but a small number of students preferred the online setting. However, what is perhaps more interesting is a minority of approximately one-third of the students who perceived no difference between the settings, or that the two settings were perhaps complementary.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
N. Tenn-Lyn ◽  
S. Verma ◽  
R. Zulla

We developed and implemented an annual online survey to administer to residents exiting residency training in order to (1) assess the quality of the residency experience and (2) identify areas of strength and areas requiring improvement. Long-term goals include program planning, policy-making and maintenance of quality control. Survey content was developed from an environmental scan, pre-existing survey instruments, examination of training criteria established by the CFPC and the CanMEDS criteria established by the RCPSC. The survey included evaluation benchmarks and satisfaction ratings of program director and faculty, preparation for certification and practice, quality of life, quality of education, and work environment. The response rate was 28%. Seventy-five percent of respondents were exiting from Royal College training programs. Results of descriptive statistics determined that the overall educational experience was rated highly, with 98.9% of respondents satisfied or very satisfied with their overall patient care experience. Ninety-six percent of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of teaching. Preparation for practice was identified as needing improvement, with 26% and 34% of respondents giving an unsatisfactory rating to career guidance and assistance with finding employment, respectively. Although 80% of respondents reported receiving ongoing feedback and 84% discussed their evaluations with their supervisors, only 38% of evaluations were completed by the end of the rotation. The results indicate that residents are generally satisfied with their experiences during residency training, especially with their overall educational experience. Areas of improvement include preparation for practice and timeliness of evaluations. Further iterations of this survey are needed to refine the instrument, identify data trends and maintain quality control in residency training programs. Frank JR (ed.). The CanMEDS competency framework: better standards, better physicians, better care. Ottawa: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, 2005. Merritt, Hawkins and Associates. Summary Report: 2003 Survey of final-year medical residents. http://www.merritthawkins.com/pdf/MHA2003residentsurv.pdf. Accessed May 1, 2006. Regnier K, Kopelow M, Lane D, Alden A. Accreditation for learning and change: Quality and improvement as the outcome. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 2005; 25:174-182.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kejimu Sunzi ◽  
Cheng Lei ◽  
Zhuoyuanyuan Chen ◽  
Baolu Zhang

BACKGROUND The rapid development of health information technology has an increasingly significant impact on nursing work. The development of informatization also puts forward higher requirements for nurses under standardized training (NUST). Informatics knowledge and skills are essential if clinicians are to master the large volume of information generated in healthcare today. Nurses with competent nursing informatics competencies (NIC) will be able to better adapt to the needs of work and the development of the times. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore, analyze, and discuss the current situation of NIC of NUST in China, and analyze the influencing factors, to provide references for improving the NIC of NUST. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of standard training nurses' NIC in a tertiary hospital in Sichuan Province, China, with convenience sampling. The study consists of two parts included socio-demographic characteristics and NIC, a self-designed general information questionnaire, and a Self-Assessment Nursing Informatics Competency Scale-SF28 were used as survey tools. An online survey collected the data, and the scores of nurses' NIC were analyzed, and the factors were determined by linear regression statistical analysis. RESULTS Overall 191 target population responded to the questionnaire, including 22 males (11.52%) and 169 females (88.48%), the age range was 21 to 28 years, the average age was 24.64 (SD 1.43). 53 persons without computer level certificate (27.75%), 138 persons with computer level certificate (72.25%), the total score of Self-Assessment Nursing Informatics Competency Scale was 68.65 (SD 10.47), the scores of each dimension were role of clinical information 10.12 (SD 2.17), basic computer knowledge and skills 26.64 (SD 4.96), application ability of computer skills 7.16 (SD 1.82), wireless equipment skills 8.02 (SD 2.04), nursing information attitude 16.73 (SD 3.25). In the analysis of influencing factors of NIC, “whether learned professional knowledge through the internet” is the influencing factor of NIC (P< .05). CONCLUSIONS The clinical nursing informatics (NC) of nurses was at a medium level, mainly influenced by “whether learned professional knowledge through the internet.” In the future regulation process, it is necessary to strengthen further the capacity training of information to improve their clinical information decision-making ability and better serve patients.


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