Academic Doctors Research Articles

Personal protective equipment and health-care workers

Background and Objective: The study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice viz-a-viz to the use of Personnel protective equipment among the health-care staff of a government tertiary care teaching hospital. Methodology: The study was performed in a government tertiary care teaching hospital. The study design was cross-sectional and descriptive. The study was carried out in the Clinical areas of the hospital and included 407 health-care professionals (academic resident doctors, nursing officers, paramedical staff and housekeeping staff) who have consented to participate in the study. A structured and validated questionnaire was prepared based on the standard guidelines described in the Infection Prevention and Control Manual, MOHFW, GOI published in 2018. The parts of the study tool were divided into five parts. The results were statistically analyzed (MS Office spreadsheet version 2007 and IBM-SPSS Version 20). Results: The study included 407 participants; 91 (22.4%) academic resident doctors, 122 (30%) nursing officers, 23 (5.7%) paramedical staff, and 171 (42%) housekeeping staff, respectively. The overall knowledge, attitude, and practice aspect of the personal protective equipment (PPE) were comparatively low. The overall mean score of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding PPE was 0.73, 0.72, and 0.22 out of 1. Conclusion and Recommendations: The knowledge aspect of PPE of health-care professionals was good for nursing officers whereas with respect to the attitude and practice aspect, it was found that in the majority of areas, the housekeeping staff were performing better than the other cadres. The author recommends regular inspection by the clinicians and administrators to ensure compliance; and to provide training for the health-care professionals with regard to the types of PPE to be used and when all to be used as per the job undertaken as a reminder/continuous medical education.

Design, implementation and evaluation of a spiral module combining data science, digital health and evidence-based medicine in the undergraduate medical curriculum: A mixed methods study

BackgroundDigital health, data science and health informatics are increasingly important in health and healthcare, but largely ignored in undergraduate medical training. MethodsIn a large UK medical school, with staff and students, we co-designed a new, ‘spiral’ module (with iterative revisiting of content), covering data science, digital health and evidence-based medicine, implementing in September 2019 in all year groups with continuous evaluation and improvement until 2022. ResultsIn 2018/19, a new module, ‘Doctor as Data Scientist’, was co-designed by academic staff (n = 14), students (n = 23), and doctors (n = 7). The module involves 22 staff, 120 h (43 sessions: 22 lectures, 15 group and six other) over a 5-year curriculum. Since September 2019, 5,200 students have been taught with good attendance. Module student satisfaction ratings were 92%, 84%, 84% and 81% in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively, compared to the overall course (81%). ConclusionsWe designed, implemented and evaluated a new undergraduate medical curriculum that combined data science and digital health with high student satisfaction ratings.

Dos doutorados acadêmicos aos doutorados profissionais: análise comparativa de experiências na Ibero-América

Abstract Professional Doctorates (PD) as a model of doctoral training, parallel to and independent from the traditional Academic Doctorates, began to expand throughout the 1990s in countries of the Anglo-Saxon world, echoing timidly in Ibero-American countries. This article carried out a comparative study between the PDs of Brazil and Mexico, the only countries in the Ibero-American region that have created PDs in their educational systems, aiming to analyze their convergences, divergences, and specificities. This is an exploratory, analytic-descriptive, bibliographic, and documental study. Among other important findings, it is noteworthy that unlike the Mexican norms that relate PD specifically to the professional development of doctoral students, in Brazil there is a broader, prevailing conception aimed at increasing the productivity of companies and public and private organizations, technology transfer and the production of innovative knowledge.

A population proportion to each stratum study on knowledge, attitude and practices on vaccine preventable hospital acquired infections

Abstract Background and Objective: Health-care workers (HCWs) need to be immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis B virus and tetanus. The study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices on immunization against vaccine-preventable hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the clinical care areas of a tertiary care government teaching hospital. The study was conducted from June 2019 to June 2020. Institutional Ethics Committee approval was attained before taking up the study. A study sample of 407 was calculated by applying the population proportion to size formula to each stratum and was drawn among the resident (academic) doctors, staff nurses, and paramedical and housekeeping staff of the institute. The results were analyzed statistically. Results: Out of 407 study participants, 91 (22.4%) were resident (academic) doctors, 122 (30%) were staff nurses, 23 (5.7%) were paramedical staff, and 171 (42%) were housekeeping staff, respectively. The overall mean score for all the study participants’ knowledge, attitude, and practice for immunization against vaccine-preventable HAIs and health checkup among HCWs was 1.71 out of 2, 0.96 out of 1, and 1.18 out of 2, respectively. Conclusion: The knowledge with respect to immunization against vaccine-preventable HAIs and health checkup for HCWs was good for resident (academic) doctors. However, with respect to attitude and practice, it was found that the housekeeping staff and the staff nurses had better scores than the resident (academic) doctors. The author has suggested a few administrative measures in the article.

How much are videos on You Tube sufficient for Turkish hypertension patients?

Aims: The quality of YouTube videos has been studied across various medical specialties and for numerous diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the quality, adequacy, and reliability of video content related to hypertension (HT) created on the YouTube platform. Methods: Considering that the native language of most patients and physicians is Turkish in our country, the term 'Hipertansiyon' was searched in the YouTube search section on September 1, 2023. Only videos from the last ten years were included. Video quality and reliability, included in the study data, were defined using the 'Global Quality Score' (GQS) and 'Modified DISCERN Scores' (MDS), which have been previously used in many internet-based studies. Results: A total of 99 videos were included. The mean number of subscribers was 107,997.77 ± 25,850.54, and the most frequently encountered content in the videos was hypertension and its treatment. The mean MDS scores were 4.61 and 4.44, while the mean GQS scores were 3.94 and 3.91. Considering that the majority of the videos were created by expert academic medical doctors or specialists, the content was found to be satisfactory. Academicians hold academic titles and conduct educational and research activities at universities, whereas non-academic individuals are typically specialist medical doctors. Conclusion: Videos created by expert academic medical doctors should be preferred.

Mercier’s Clinic: Public Health Utopianism in L’An 2440, rêve s’il en fut jamais

The eighteenth-century medical Enlightenment in France saw fierce conflicts between inoculistes and anti-inoculistes, attacks from philosophes and surgeons on the privileges and dogmas of elite academic doctors, and attempts by reformers to improve medicine, hospitals, and sanitation. In this article, I show that Louis-Sébastien Mercier’s L’An 2440, rêve s’il en fut jamais (1771) intervenes in this debate by portraying a France experiencing a public health crisis and providing compassionate remedies in a futuristic “public health utopia” for the diseases of France’s individual and political bodies, including a proposal for a new inoculation clinic. Mercier’s novel is the first French biopolitical novel, assigning responsibility for health and medicine to the state; it is also technocratic and sometimes anti-populist, and it aims to suppress as much as resolve social antagonisms on the eve of the French Revolution. I argue that Mercier’s view of the state’s role in public health is closer to physiocratic than republican or liberal positions, and affirms several characteristics of the absolutist tradition.

Study on needle stick injury in a tertiary-level government teaching hospital

Background and Objective: A safe injection does not harm the recipient, nor does it expose the provider of injection at risk and, does not result in the generation of hazardous waste. The study was performed with the aim to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about needle stick injury (NSI) with respect to biomedical waste management rules 2016 among staff of a government tertiary care teaching hospital. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the clinical care areas of a tertiary care government teaching hospital. The study was conducted from June 2019 to June 2020. Institutional ethics committee approval was attained before taking up the study. A study sample of 407 was calculated by applying the population proportion to size formula to each stratum and was drawn among the resident (academic) doctor, staff nurse, paramedical staff and housekeeping staff of the institute. The results were analysed statistically. Results: Out of 407 study participants, 91 (22.4%) were resident (academic) doctors, 122 (30%) were staff nurses, 23 (5.7%) were paramedical staff and 171 (42%) were housekeeping staff, respectively. Regarding the knowledge aspect, most of the study participants were unaware of the safe injection practices such as not to recap the needle and to use a needle cutter to discard the used needle immediately and NSI. The overall KAP mean score of the study participants was 0.43 out of 1, 2.7 out of 3 and 0.73 out of 1, respectively. Conclusion: The attitude and practice aspect concerning the approach to NSI was found to be better for the housekeeping staff and nursing officers when compared with the resident doctors.

Comparative Effect of Moonlighting on Job Commitment, Retention and Satisfaction Between Academic Staff and Medical Doctors in Nigeria

This study deals with the effect of moonlighting on job commitment, retention and satisfaction between academic staff and medical doctors of public institutions in Southwest Nigeria. Data were analysed through t-test, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Evidence from MANOVA test indicates that moonlighting has a significant effect on the dependent variables of job commitment, retention and satisfaction respectively with comparative effect of 11% for academic staffs, 4% for medical doctors and 7% for the combined effect on academic staff and medical doctors respectively. Conclusions are drawn from the findings that moonlighting has a significant effect on job commitment, retention and satisfaction between academic staff and medical doctors of public institutions in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. The study recommends that Management of public institutions should develop HRM practices that can satisfying their employees with the aim of getting them more committed to their primary duties and assignments assigned to them.

The Intervention Selection Toolbox to improve patient-relevant outcomes: an implementation and qualitative evaluation study in colorectal cancer surgery

BackgroundThe concept of value-based healthcare is being used worldwide to improve healthcare. The Intervention Selection Toolbox was developed to bridge the gap of value-based healthcare, between insights in outcomes and actual quality improvement initiatives. In this study we aimed to evaluate the use of the Intervention Selection Toolbox in daily practice of a quality improvement team in a hospital setting.MethodsA methodological triangulation design was used. The Intervention Selection Toolbox was used by a multidisciplinary quality improvement team for colorectal cancer care in a large teaching hospital. In-depth semi-structured interviews, focusing on the key elements of process evaluation, were conducted after implementation with representatives of the quality improvement team to evaluate the use of the Intervention Selection Toolbox. Quantitative data regarding improvement initiatives and degree of implementation was also collected.ResultsThe use of the Intervention Selection Toolbox initially resulted in 80 potential quality improvement initiatives. Eventually, two high potential improvement initiatives were selected. Some components of the toolbox were successfully implemented in daily practice, although ‘standard monitoring’ and ‘causal chain analysis’ proved more difficult to implement. Qualitative analysis was performed with ten members of the multidisciplinary team before thematic saturation occurred. Interviewed members had a wide range in characteristics: age 28–61 years, clinical experience 6–38 years and educational attainment from vocational program to academic doctorate. The Interviews showed added value in the use of the toolbox, but identified time and organizational management as restricting factors.ConclusionsThe Intervention Selection Toolbox is useful to systematically identify improvement initiatives with impact on health outcomes that matter to patients. However, before implementation organizational structure should be optimized to maximize success and efficiency on integration of the Intervention Selection Toolbox.

Rendszergondolatok rendszerezése. Interjú a 80 éves Kerényi Attila professzorral [Interjú

Attila Kerényi, Professor of Geography, was born in 1943 in Sátoraljaújhely. He earned a degree as a teacher of Geography and Biology in 1967. During the 1980s, he gained national and international scientific recognition for his research on soil erosion processes, and completed his candidate dissertation in 1984. In the 1990s, he became nationally acknowledged for his publications, textbooks and scientific books on landscape and environmental protection, and earned an academic doctorate title in the topic. His scientific work was recognized with numerous awards. In 2020, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit in recognition of his several decades of research and teaching activities which have greatly contributed to the renewal of geography education at the University of Debrecen. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, his colleagues interviewed Professor Kerényi about his family, profession, achievements and the state of global environmental systems.

Professional Doctorate in Translation and Interpreting: Next Thing on the Horizon in Chinese Mainland

Abstract In Chinese mainland higher education institutions, translator and interpreter education comprises research-oriented Master’s and Doctoral programs in translation and interpreting studies, and Bachelor’s and Master’s-level programs that focus on developing students’ practical translation and interpreting skills and knowledge. A limited few also offer conference interpreter training that leads to a professional diploma. While this structure has been established for the past two decades or so, many Chinese scholars have argued in favor of adding a professional doctorate in translation and interpreting (DTI) to the mix and expect it to have positive implications for academia and the industry. This paper provides the context in which DTI should be interpreted and takes stock of the proposals for its design. It also makes a brief comparison of DTI and the traditional academic doctorate in terms of admission, research goals, focus of study, assessment approaches, as well as internship and dissertation requirements, and it argues for the need for finer differentiation.

A webinar series to educate applicants about the UK academic foundation programme: a longitudinal cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe UK academic foundation programme (AFP) is a competitive programme for medical graduates and forms the initial stage of the integrated clinical academic pathway. The application is complex and targeted education is beneficial. As online technologies improve, virtual medical education is becoming more common. Currently, webinar education, particularly that of webinar series, are poorly evidenced. An online course was created to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of webinars for medical education.MethodsA six-part, one-hour sessional webinar course was developed following a focus group with academic foundation doctors. A pre- and post-course cross-sectional questionnaire study evaluated participant demographics, webinar opinion and self-rated understanding of the AFP via Google Form (Google, USA). Where applicable a five-point Likert scale (1-Strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree) was utilised and analysis using non-parametric paired statistical analysis.ResultsMedical students (n=303) from 35 UK universities completed the pre-course questionnaire. Most students had not received targeted education on the AFP. They rated webinars useful for education (mean=4.2 s.d. 0.7).After the course, participants (n=66) expressed it was significantly convenient (mean=4.7), effective (mean=4.7) and suitably interactive (mean=4.4) (p<0.001 compared to neutral). Participants preferred short sessions over multiple days to the concept of a full-day event (mean=4.6 vs 3.1, p<0.001).Paired analysis of participants completing both forms (n=47) demonstrates a significant increase in self-rated understanding of AFP content, portfolio building, application process, acute clinical scenarios, interview technique and overall confidence in acquiring an AFP post (p<0.001).Follow-up identified 43 participants who completed the course were successful in their AFP application. This represents 7.8% of all successful AFP applicants in 2021.ConclusionsThis study evidences an accessible and effective webinar series for AFP education. Comprehensive webinar courses for similar topics and demographics may provide valuable utility in the provision of future medical education.Trial registrationEthics requirements were waived for this study by Bristol University Ethics Committee. All participants in this study consented for anonymous use of their data. As such the trial is not registered.

A saúde como campo de batalha: doenças e artes de curar no Brasil, 1750-1822

Abstract This article explores how diseases were contemplated and faced in Portuguese America in the early 1820s, shortly before the consolidation of the political rupture with Portugal that made Brazil an independent country. It analyzes who the individuals called to treat the diseases of the suffering population were, along with their knowledge and their therapies. To achieve this, we must begin by taking a step back in time, emphasizing the influences of the reforms of the Portuguese Empire on medical knowledge in the second half of the eighteenth century. The first section of the article is dedicated to exploring the complex and multifaceted healing practices in Portuguese America, resulting from the mixtures between traditional concepts about the body and the diseases that were part of the cultural references of the local population. The article then moves on to analyze some of the institutional and political conflicts involved in the consolidation of scientific medicine in Brazil, especially after the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Rio de Janeiro. Despite the political prestige of academic doctors, practitioners of the healing arts had broad support from the population, in addition to finding social mobility in the breaches of clientelistic relationships that marked the political culture of the period.

Health as a battlefield: diseases and the healing arts in Brazil, 1750-1822.

This article explores how diseases were contemplated and faced in Portuguese America in the early 1820s, shortly before the consolidation of the political rupture with Portugal that made Brazil an independent country. It analyzes who the individuals called to treat the diseases of the suffering population were, along with their knowledge and their therapies. To achieve this, we must begin by taking a step back in time, emphasizing the influences of the reforms of the Portuguese Empire on medical knowledge in the second half of the eighteenth century. The first section of the article is dedicated to exploring the complex and multifaceted healing practices in Portuguese America, resulting from the mixtures between traditional concepts about the body and the diseases that were part of the cultural references of the local population. The article then moves on to analyze some of the institutional and political conflicts involved in the consolidation of scientific medicine in Brazil, especially after the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Rio de Janeiro. Despite the political prestige of academic doctors, practitioners of the healing arts had broad support from the population, in addition to finding social mobility in the breaches of clientelistic relationships that marked the political culture of the period.

Шкалы и тесты для оценки эффективности телереабилитации пациентов, перенесших инсульт

This article provides international scales and tests used in the telerehabilitation of stroke patients. The practical value of the work lies in the fact that, based on the analysis of international scientific articles published on the basis of randomized clinical trials, scales and tests used in telerehabilitation are given. The results of this study can be used by healthcare professionals, doctors and medical workers to organize telerehabilitation ofpost-stroke patients under Russian conditions, as well as in clinical trials. The article may be useful to scientific and academic staff, resident doctors and other specialists who are dealing with digital rehabilitation of neurological patients or conducting research.

A Survey of Human Gross Anatomy Laboratories in DPT Programs across the United States

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to 1) describe the current teaching methodology used in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) human gross anatomy (HGA) labs, 2) examine the demographics and perceptions of HGA instructors and compare responses based on years of experience, 3) determine the utilization and instructor perceptions related to cadaver dissection and other methods of instruction, and 4) determine which safety/security protocols are used in HGA laboratories. Method: All DPT programs (N=250) in the United States (US) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) were eligible to participate. The anonymous, 89-item online survey was completed by either an HGA instructor or DPT program director in March of 2020. Seventy-four individuals responded for a response rate of 29.6%. Results: Respondents represented programs from 65.2% private and 34.8% public institutions. Fifty percent of respondents dedicated 31-60% of their HGA course to face-to-face lab time, with 68% reporting an instructor to student ratio in lab of 1:15 or smaller. Seventy percent of instructors were US licensed PTs, and 78% of those PTs held an academic doctorate. The average years of anatomy teaching experience was 11.3. Ninety-six percent of programs utilized cadavers. Most programs (86%) had students perform hands-on cadaver dissection. Overall, 90% of instructors incorporated learning activities into lab beyond dissection. Ninety-four percent of instructors reported enjoyment teaching HGA, and a majority felt they had adequate teaching support and academic preparation. Sixty percent of respondents felt that cadavers were the only way to teach lab, while 90% felt that cadavers were the best way to teach lab. Regarding safety, 38% of instructors had concerns regarding chemical exposure in lab, and 11% believed their health was at risk. Comparative analyses found significant differences in instructor perceptions based on years of anatomy teaching experience (+/- 10 years). Less experienced faculty were more likely to believe that a non-cadaver approach to teaching HGA can be as effective as using cadavers given the right technology, while more experienced faculty were more likely to believe that teaching HGA with cadavers was the best way to teach lab. Conclusions: DPT program directors and instructors may find this study valuable to compare their HGA course(s) to other programs in the US. Although there is a clear preference for including cadavers in HGA laboratories, it is evident that most instructors are incorporating other learning approaches in their HGA laboratories.

From PKU Online Lessons for Dietetics Students to the PKU Sandwiches Album

The purpose of the manuscript is to present to academic teachers, doctors and nutritionists how practical online classes with dietetics students can be used to develop ready-made tools at work and for the education of phenylketonuria (PKU) patients and their caregivers/parents. During online classes in 2020, as part of the subject—diet therapy of metabolic blocks, 53 students prepared PKU sandwiches at home. Each PKU sandwich has a calculated nutritional value, and phenylalanine exchanger content, but does not include low-protein bread. The selection of a particular type of PKU bread depends solely on the PKU patient, hence it was deliberately not included in the calculations. The sandwiches, made by students and assessed by academic teachers, will be published with the following title “The PKU Sandwiches Album”. The Album with more than 400 colorful pictures of PKU sandwiches, will be expected to inspire patients and help them add appeal to their diet, enriching it with new tastes, at the same time facilitating the memorizing process of ingredients, thanks to visualization and presented calculations, and motivating them to comply with strict dietary recommendation. The same nutritional calculations and ideas for sandwiches, with the use of different bread, e.g., gluten-free, may be useful in other diseases, such as celiac disease.

Lolita Mei Wan Chan

Lolita Mei Wan Chan was born in Leeds, the youngest and brightest of two siblings, to proud parents Chi Ming and Yuk Lin. She was among the first in our...

Evaluating participant experience in Balint online sessions held during the COVID-19 pandemic – lessons learnt and moving forward

AimsFrom the outset of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the lockdown that subsequently ensued, a challenge was posed to reshape previously face-to-face meetings in all walks of life. One area that rose to this, with quick introduction of online sessions, was the Balint Group. We aimed to take a snapshot of the effect virtual Balint sessions have had and analyse the themes that members of virtual Balint groups have been identifying about their online group experience at this particularly challenging time for healthcare workers. We hope this will inform both leaders and participants of future online groups of the benefits and pitfalls found by these members reflecting on their first experiences of virtual Balint.MethodSeven members of virtual Balint groups across the UK were randomly selected for interview from a pool of volunteers facilitated by the UK Balint Society after the first 6 months of their first virtual Balint experience. Interviews were conducted by two academic foundation doctors who were not members of the Balint groups. Qualitative thematic analysis was then conducted on these interview transcripts. Going forward, as Balint groups continue online, the researchers plan to interview further group members and leaders to look for change and development in the primary themes identified.ResultKey positive themes identified when discussing virtual Balint were ease of access, increased anonymity, attention to facial expressions and interaction with participants from different parts of the country. The most common drawback themes were a lack of socialising and different group dynamic as well as the expected technical and environmental challenges. Interestingly all participants reported that ‘silence’ and ‘sitting/stepping back’ were still used in their online sessions. Core theme analysis indicates the virtual Balint descriptions draw out sentiments of safe, open and structured sessions. In these early sessions a frequent theme was the increased role of the leader.ConclusionAll participants interviewed so far have felt their online experiences have had many positive aspects. They highlight areas they feel virtual Balint could develop to better replicate the original sessions. The fact some interviewees would prefer to maintain online Balint groups even when ‘in person’ options resume makes it likely this will not be a transient rise in virtual Balint and that the style may be here to stay. Based on this, the role for feedback and constant evaluation and improvement will be central to virtual Balint evolution.

Mentorship of Underrepresented Physicians and Trainees in Academic Medicine: a Systematic Review.

BackgroundThough the USA is becoming increasingly diverse, the physician workforce contains a disproportionately low number of physicians from racial and ethnic groups that are described as underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Mentorship has been proposed as one way to improve the retention and experiences of URiM physicians and trainees. The objective of this systematic review was to identify and describe mentoring programs for URiM physicians in academic medicine and to describe important themes from existing literature that can aid in the development of URiM mentorship programs.MethodsThe authors searched PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, and Cochrane databases, and included original publications that described a US mentorship program involving academic medical doctors at the faculty or trainee level and were created for physicians who are URiM or provided results stratified by race/ethnicity.ResultsOur search yielded 4,548 unique citations and 31 publications met our inclusion criteria. Frequently cited objectives of these programs were to improve research skills, to diversify representation in specific fields, and to recruit and retain URiM participants. Subjective outcomes were primarily participant satisfaction with the program and/or work climate. The dyad model of mentoring was the most common, though several novel models were also described. Program evaluations were primarily subjective and reported high satisfaction, although some reported objective outcomes including publications, retention, and promotion. All showed satisfactory outcomes for the mentorship programs.DiscussionThis review describes a range of successful mentoring programs for URiM physicians. Our recommendations based on our review include the importance of institutional support for diversity, tailoring programs to local needs and resources, training mentors, and utilizing URiM and non-URiM mentors.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-020-06478-7.