Abstract
Background:Short-term global health electives (STGHEs) have become increasingly common, with evidence showing educational and clinical benefits for short-term learners (STLs). Despite increased recognition that STGHEs should be mutually beneficial for host sites and STLs, evidence demonstrating the impact on international host preceptors is lacking.Objectives:To understand international host preceptors’ perceptions regarding benefits and burdens of hosting STLs.Methods:Focus group discussions with a convenience sample of 10 of 18 eligible preceptors were conducted at pediatric STGHE sites in Malawi and Lesotho. Qualitative content analysis was performed to identify themes using a deductive-inductive approach.Findings:Common themes regarding benefits to preceptors included increased knowledge and resources for learning from STLs, broadened differential diagnoses, and the satisfaction of teaching. Regarding burdens, preceptors perceived that supervising STLs decreases efficiency. Preceptors identified the burden of having to intervene in instances that could lead to patient harm. Some preceptors perceived that STLs under-valued preceptors’ clinical decision-making in resource-limited contexts.Conclusions:Our findings emphasize the need for institutions to identify mutuality of benefits between STLs and host sites when developing STGHEs. Host preceptors identified robust pre-departure training for STLs, lengthened duration of STGHEs, and formal preceptor orientation as ways to enhance mutuality of benefits.
Highlights
Short-term global health electives (STGHEs) have become increasingly common among both medical students and residents and are offered by many institutions in high-income countries [1]
Negative impact on decision-making processes Preceptors identified the burden of having to intervene in instances that could lead to patient harm, including when an short-term learners (STLs) may give incorrect medical advice or apply clinical guidelines inappropriately
Burdens to preceptors included perceived decreased clinical efficiency, having to intervene in instances that could lead to patient harm, and the perception that some STLs under-valued preceptors’ clinical decision-making
Summary
Short-term global health electives (STGHEs) have become increasingly common among both medical students and residents and are offered by many institutions in high-income countries [1]. There is increasing recognition in the global health literature that STGHEs should be mutually beneficial to both host sites and STLs [9]. Short-term global health electives (STGHEs) have become increasingly common, with evidence showing educational and clinical benefits for short-term learners (STLs). Despite increased recognition that STGHEs should be mutually beneficial for host sites and STLs, evidence demonstrating the impact on international host preceptors is lacking. Objectives: To understand international host preceptors’ perceptions regarding benefits and burdens of hosting STLs. Methods: Focus group discussions with a convenience sample of 10 of 18 eligible preceptors were conducted at pediatric STGHE sites in Malawi and Lesotho. Findings: Common themes regarding benefits to preceptors included increased knowledge and resources for learning from STLs, broadened differential diagnoses, and the satisfaction of teaching. Host preceptors identified robust pre-departure training for STLs, lengthened duration of STGHEs, and formal preceptor orientation as ways to enhance mutuality of benefits
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