An Online Ethics Curriculum for Short-Term Global Health Experiences: Evaluating a Decade of Use

Abstract

Background:Medical students and early career healthcare professionals commonly participate in short-term experiences in global health (STEGH).Objective:The authors evaluate the use of a free-to-access, case-based online curriculum addressing ethical issues trainees should consider prior to engaging in STEGH.Methods:Demographic data and feedback on specific cases were collected from 5,226 respondents accessing the online curriculum between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2021. Feedback on the curriculum included 5-point Likert scale and open-ended responses. Quantitative data were analyzed using standard descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were independently dual coded and analyzed thematically in NVivo.Findings:The curriculum reached respondents from 106 countries. Undergraduate (36%) and graduate (38%) respondents included those from several different professional specialties. Less than a quarter of all of respondents, less than half with previous global health experience, and one-third with planned future global health experiences had received prior global health ethics training. Overall, the curriculum was highly rated; respondents felt it provided necessary tools to improve their thought processes, confidence, and behavior when encountering ethical issues during STEGH. Areas for curriculum improvement include balancing case specificity with generalizability.Conclusion:This curriculum has met a need for accessible introductory global health ethics education and demonstrates successful use of an online platform in case-based ethics learning.