scholarly journals Thai Medical Students’ Self Assessment of Palliative Care Competencies

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. PCRT.S9383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukanya Srisawat ◽  
Temsak Phungrassami

Objective To evaluate the final-year medical students’ perception of their competencies related to palliative care. Materials and Methods Two consecutive anonymous surveys at 6 and 12 months among 6th-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University. Results One hundred and ten (66%) and 103 (62%) students completed the questionnaires at 6 and 12 months, respectively. With the criteria that at least 80% of them should be confident to manage the cases independently or under supervision, they perceived themselves to be good at holistic care and communication skills, but lacking in common symptoms management and ethical aspects. The common promoting factors and barriers for their learning experiences were reported. Conclusion This study identified many aspects necessary to improve the students’ learning experience in our compulsory longitudinal integrated palliative care curriculum.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry D. Cripe ◽  
David G. Hedrick ◽  
Kevin L. Rand ◽  
Debra Burns ◽  
Daniella Banno ◽  
...  

Purpose: More physicians need to acquire the skills of primary palliative care. Medical students’ clerkship experiences with death, dying, and palliative care (DDPC), however, may create barriers to learning such skills during residency. Whether professional development is differentially affected by DDPC is unknown. This knowledge gap potentially hinders the development of educational strategies to optimize students’ preparedness for primary palliative care. Method: Third-year students submitted professionalism narratives (N = 4062) during their internal medicine clerkship between 2004 and 2011. We identified DDPC-related narratives and then randomly selected control narratives. Narratives were compared by valence (positive or negative) and professionalism-related themes. Results and Conclusion: Less than 10% of the narratives were related to DDPC, but the majority was positive. There was a significant overlap in professionalism themes between DDPC and control narratives. The results suggest student preparedness for primary palliative care may be improved by addressing the common professionalism challenges of clinical clerkships.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal E. Brown ◽  
Anthony L. Back ◽  
Dee W. Ford ◽  
Erin K. Kross ◽  
Lois Downey ◽  
...  

Background: We conducted a randomized trial of a simulation-based multisession workshop to improve palliative care communication skills (Codetalk). Standardized patient assessments demonstrated improved communication skills for trainees receiving the intervention; however, patient and family assessments failed to demonstrate improvement. This article reports findings from trainees’ self-assessments. Aim: To examine whether Codetalk resulted in improved self-assessed communication competence by trainees. Design: Trainees were recruited from the University of Washington and the Medical University of South Carolina. Internal medicine residents, medicine subspecialty fellows, nurse practitioner students, or community-based advanced practice nurses were randomized to Codetalk, a simulation-based workshop, or usual education. The outcome measure was self-assessed competence discussing palliative care needs with patients and was assessed at the start and end of the academic year. We used robust linear regression models to predict self-assessed competency, both as a latent construct and as individual indicators, including randomization status and baseline self-assessed competency. Results: We randomized 472 trainees to the intervention (n = 232) or usual education (n = 240). The intervention was associated with an improvement in trainee’s overall self-assessment of competence in communication skills ( P < .001). The intervention was also associated with an improvement in trainee self-assessments of 3 of the 4 skill-specific indicators—expressing empathy, discussing spiritual issues, and eliciting goals of care. Conclusion: Simulation-based communication training was associated with improved self-assessed competency in overall and specific communication skills in this randomized trial. Further research is needed to fully understand the importance and limitations of self-assessed competence in relation to other outcomes of improved communication skill.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 363.3-364
Author(s):  
Hannah Costelloe ◽  
Alice Copley ◽  
Andrew Greenhalgh ◽  
Andrew Foster ◽  
Pratik Solanki

Evidence demonstrates that medical students have limited experience in developing ‘higher-order communication skills’ (Kaufman et al. 2000). Anecdotally many do not feel confident in their ability to conduct difficult conversations often due to a lack of exposure to such scenarios in practice or a pervasive notion that these scenarios are inappropriate for students and beyond the scope of a junior doctor’s role and thus not a focus of curriculums (Noble et al. 2007). There is however a correlation between level of clinical experience and improved confidence for medical students (Morgan and Cleave-Hogg 2002).We surveyed a group of final year medical students to assess their confidence using a 10-point Likert scale in tackling common palliative and end of life care scenarios. Our intervention comprised a study day of 10 practical small-group teaching simulation and OSCE-style stations designed to provide exposure to common experiences in a controlled setting. We reassessed the confidence of students after delivery and objectively explored the impact of the day by asking participants to complete a validated assessment before and after the course. All results showed significant improvement on t-testing: confidence in end of life communication in an OSCE setting improved by 42.2% and assessment marks improved by 24.7% (p=0.039).Palliative care is an area in which students approaching the end of undergraduate training feel underprepared. Our findings demonstrate that small group sessions improve confidence by facilitating communication practice in a controlled environment and providing crucial exposure to common palliative care scenarios they will face as doctors.References. Kaufman D, Laidlaw T, Macleod H. Communication skills in medical school: Exposure confidence and performance. Academic Medicine [online] 2000;75(10):S90–S92. Available at https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2000/10001/Communication_Skills_in_Medical_School__Exposure.29.aspx [Accessed: 30 May 2018]. Morgan P, Cleave-Hogg D. Comparison between medical students’ experience confidence and competence. Medical Education [online] 2002;36(6):534–539. Available at https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01228.x [Accessed: 30 May 2018]. Noble L, Kubacki A, Martin J, Lloyd M. The effect of professional skills training on patient-centredness and confidence in communicating with patients. Medical Education [online] 2007;41(5):432–440. Available at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2007.02704.x [Accessed: 30 May 2018]


PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e0218780
Author(s):  
Hiroaki Nagano ◽  
Haruo Obara ◽  
Yoshihiro Takayama

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw-Wen Chang ◽  
Wen-Hui Fang ◽  
Wen-Chii Tzeng ◽  
Pauling Chu ◽  
Senyeong Kao

Abstract Background An increasing number of medical schools worldwide are implementing longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs), but few schools in East Asia have done the same. The study explored and compared learning experiences and academic performances of LIC and traditional block rotation (TBR) students at a metropolitan tertiary teaching hospital in Taiwan.Methods This study employed qualitative and quantitative methods. We used semi-structured interviews to explore the learning experience of the medical students in their fifth-year clerkship and analyzed the data with a general inductive approach. We also compared the students’ academic performance, including the scores of their clinical performance, medical record writing, written tests, and the objective structured clinical exam.Results There were 12 LIC and 14 TBR students who participated in interviews. We identified four major themes in their learning experiences. (1) Clinical learning: the importance of active learning, the difference between textbook knowledge and clinical practice, and opportunistic (TBR) versus contextual (LIC) learning. (2) With patients: companionship with patients (TBR and LIC) and bridging the gap between physicians and patients (LIC). (3) With preceptors: apprenticeship (for LIC) and difficulty communicating with preceptors (for TBR). (4) Doctor-patient relationship: interaction and communication. Comparing the learning outcomes, the LIC students scored higher on preceptor-rated assessments, and both groups exhibited comparable performance on written tests and the objective structured clinical examination.Conclusion Although students’ learning experience differed in some respects according to their curricula, they had a comparable academic performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-147
Author(s):  
Kristina Schick ◽  
Pascal O. Berberat ◽  
Martina Kadmon ◽  
Sigrid Harendza ◽  
Martin Gartmeier

Abstract. This work investigates the German version of the Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (KCSAFd) for three assessment methods: students' self-assessment (KCSAFd-self), assessment by standardised patients (KCSAFd-sPat) and video-assessment by trained raters (KCSAFd-video). Videotaped simulated patient consultations of N = 163 medical students from the first ( n = 97) and the final clinical years ( n = 66) were rated using the KCSAFd. Investigating the psychometric properties of the instrument, we found a two factor-construct with interpersonal and conversational competence. All methods showed good internal consistency and acceptable model fit values. Additionally, we found plausible relationships between the three methods and meaningful differences between the two groups of students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24182-e24182
Author(s):  
Helen Hatcher ◽  
Cameron Magrath ◽  
Debbie Critoph Hatcher

e24182 Background: Communication with adolescent and young adult cancer (AYA) patients and their families can be challenging and requires extensive skills, often developed over time. Medical students can be afraid to encounter such challenges and treating teams can be protective of these vulnerable patients. Therefore, medical students can have little contact and experience communicating with AYA putting them at a disadvantage. We have developed a special study module (SSM) for students with the AYA multi-disciplinary team to promote student awareness of the unique challenges of communicating with AYA patients and provide essential skills for later practice. We present the findings from the first year of this module. Methods: Students at the University of Cambridge were offered a 6-week placement with the AYA cancer service. This involved shadowing members of the multi-professional cancer team and time on the AYA ward to talk with patients and their families in order to practice triadic communication skills. Mid-placement, an experiential learning experience with simulated patients focused on triadic interviews was also offered in line with our local clinical communication skills courses. After the module students were questioned about how they felt this had affected their practice and knowledge of communicating with AYA with cancer. Results: 12 students enrolled for the SSM over the year. All students found the placement widened their communication skills as well as their knowledge of AYA cancers and treatments. 4 main areas of learning were evident. 1.The problems faced by AYA patients as they try to establishing independent adult identities in the midst of severe illness or at the end of life and the implications for the triadic interview. 2. Information sharing during patient denial. 3. The AYA perspective: desire for control and their difficulty of communicating. 4.Challenges of communicating well in emotionally-charged situations. Conclusions: Experiential learning during the placement highlighted techniques for balancing both patient and parental involvement during consultations to maximise efficacy of information gathering. AYA cancer placements provide opportunities to develop advanced communication skills and can be augmented with experiential learning.


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