Abstract
Background
Delivery of medical ethics education is complex due to various reasons, compounded by the context-dependent nature of the content. The scarcity of relevant resources in the contexts of some developing countries adds a further layer of difficulty to ethics education in these contexts. We used a consultative approach with students, teachers and external experts to develop a contextually relevant and practical approach to medical ethics education. The aim of this study was to develop and refine a contextually relevant approach to ethics education in the region of Saudi Arabia.
Methods
The study utilized explorative qualitative methodology to seek views of students and faculty of Rabigh Faculty of Medicine, Kaing Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and international experts in the field of ethics and education to review and enhance a preliminary version of workbook-based ethics learning strategy. Three focus groups with 12 students and in-depth interviews with four faculty members enabled the study participants to objectively critique the WBEL and provide feedback to enhance its quality. In addition, eleven external experts critically analyzed the workbook. Thematic content analysis of the data was done to draw inferences which were used to refine the educational strategy.
Results
The analysis generated twenty-one sub-themes within four main themes: design features, content, teaching methods and assessment. These findings helped to modify the educational strategy for improve its effectiveness in the given context.
Conclusion
The study drew on the views of students, faculty and external experts to systematically develop a novel approach to ethics education for countries like Saudi Arabia. It also demonstrated the use of consultative approach for informing a culturally relevant educational strategy in Middle East context.
Medical Ethics Education in North-American Medical Schools
