Medical College In Delhi Research Articles

IJCM_206A: Building a demographic, developmental and environmental surveillance site in an urban slum and resettlement colony in Delhi, India: processes, engagement, and challenges – a SWOT analysis

Background: Demographic, developmental and environmental surveillance sites (DDESS) enable accurate and prospective health-related data collection amongst socioeconomically disadvantaged populations that facilitate health planning and interventions. Objectives: We explored the community-engagement strategies, enablers, and barriers in building a DDESS site in an urban slum and resettlement colony-based field practice area of a government medical college in Delhi. Methodology: We conducted qualitative research through SWOT analysis that identified both internal (strength and weaknesses), and external (opportunities and threats) factors in building the DDESSS. Informal interviews with multiple stakeholders including researchers, field investigators, project staff, local medical officers, resident doctors, community health workers, local residents, and leaders were conducted. Results: The themes related to SWOT analysis were identified as: (1). Internal factors – Strengths (a). Pre-existing linkage with the community especially provision of comprehensive primary care services (b). Establishment of community-advisory boards (c). Community needs assessment (2): Internal factors - Weaknesses (a). Perceived lack of individual benefit in residents (b). Dissatisfaction with functioning of existing health services (c). Inadequate digital literacy among senior staff hindering generation and adoption of health data to meet population healthcare needs (c) Concerns over privacy in questions related to socioeconomic status and mapping of the area. (3). External factors – Opportunities (a). Employment of field workers belonging to the community to demonstrate trust and build confidence (b). Outreach health services including noncommunicable screening camps, and child vaccination. (4). External factors - Threats (a). Inefficient functioning of health system such as out-of-stock drugs, delayed vaccination, unavailability of diagnostic services in existing primary health facilities. (b). ensuring availability of adequate human and financial resources beyond the project period. (c) dominance of CABs by influential individuals or groups. Conclusion: Garnering community support and active community engagement enable the process of establishment of medical college based DDESS sites.

Internet addiction among MBBS students at a New Delhi medical college: Prevalence and determinants of a silent pandemic.

The 21st century has witnessed a surge in global internet usage, particularly in developing nations like India. Internet addiction, also known as pathological internet use (PIU) or internet addiction (IA), has emerged as a mental health concern, especially among university students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of IA among MBBS students in a medical college in Delhi, India, and explore the association of IA with sociodemographic and internet usage patterns. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 300 undergraduate medical students. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) developed by Dr. Kimberley Young. The IAT measures various aspects of internet use, and scores are categorized as normal user, mild addiction, moderate addiction, and severe addiction. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. The mean age of onset of internet use was 14.4 ± 1.6 years. Smartphones were the most common devices used for internet access (96.3%), and the mean daily internet usage was 2.9 h ± 0.9 (standard deviation [SD]). The study found that 70.7% of students maintained a permanent login status. The majority of subjects used the Internet for coursework (89.7%) and information searches (88.7%). The prevalence of IA was significant, with 90% of participants being addicted to varying degrees. The grading of IA revealed 10% with no addiction, 54.6% with mild addiction, 32% with moderate addiction, and 3.3% with severe addiction. IA is a prevalent public health concern among medical students in Delhi, with a majority of participants being addicted to some extent. Females showed a higher proportion of addiction compared to males. Certain internet activities, such as social networking and watching online videos, were significantly associated with IA. The study highlights the need for recognizing IA as a public health concern and further research to understand its impact on the youth. Longitudinal studies are recommended to observe the development and progression of IA over time.

Evaluation of a Family Study Programme using a Competency-Based Framework in a Medical College of Delhi

Introduction: Diminishing Covid-19 disruptions required hurried and less well planned juxtaposition of the existing family study programme with the new competency-based curriculum for second-year medical students in Community Medicine. We evaluated the family study programme to identify its alignment with the Competency-based curriculum and the facilitators and barriers of this teaching programme.Methodology: A mixed-methods study was conducted between March and May 2022 in the Department of Community Medicine in a medical college in North India. The Core Components Framework was used to assess the alignment of family study programmes with the Competency-based curriculum. Data collection was done using in-depth interviews and online feedback forms.Results: It was found that teaching related to 50% of the specific learning objectives was achieved by the end of the teaching programme. Mostly knowledge-based questions were asked during assessment and no framework was used for the assessment. Interactive modes of learning and demonstrations were reported to be facilitators, whereas monotony of the teaching method and lack of certain learning aids were reported as barriers to learning. It was found that assessors could not identify the sequential progress of the specific learning objectives.Conclusion: Even though the teaching related to the specific learning objectives was partially fulfilled, the assessment was not aligned with the expected outcomes. There is a need to develop milestones in the competency-based family study programme.

A model for competency-based training of undergraduate medical students to perform screening and brief intervention in alcohol use disorder—Findings from a study in a medical college in Delhi

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major cause of prolonged disability and an economic burden on communities across the world. The undergraduate (UG) curriculum in medical school in India does not allow adequate time to a structured learning about alcohol use disorder, its treatment, and prevention. The screening and brief intervention module (SBI) developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is an effective way to reduce drinking among risky drinkers. Training of undergraduates in SBI may go a long way in early intervention among problem drinkers. Hence, there is a felt need to incorporated the module in the clinical training schedule to enhance SBI skills among UGs to provide appropriate intervention at the primary healthcare level. Methodology: 50 final year UG students of a medical college in Delhi were exposed to a competency-based training in alcohol SBI comprised of lectures, focused group discussions (FGD), and role-play during their 2-week clinical posting in psychiatry along with a hands-on training under supervision of faculty. Subsequently, they were assessed for knowledge and skills gained through objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) and feedback taken from students about changes in their knowledge and attitudes towards alcohol use disorder SBI. Results: Pre- and post-self-reported outcome variables revealed significant positive impact (p < 0.001) of SBI module on competency of students in implementing SBI on patients. Assessment of knowledge on OSCE revealed mean scores of 9.48 ± 1.20 on 10 MCQs (of 01 mark each) with 47 students scoring 80% or above. On integrated OSCE assessment of competencies, 94% students made satisfactory demonstration at a desired level. Attendance in lectures and supervised SBI, attitudes pre- and post-intervention and confidence level post-intervention were found to be predictors of a high MCQ score. All faculty agreed about the feasibility of implementing competency-based SBI in existing clinical posting schedule. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated the feasibility of teaching competency-based alcohol SBI to undergraduate medical students in existing clinical posting curriculum in psychiatry and its efficacy in having a positive impact on the perception and approach of the students towards patients with alcohol use disorder.

Literacy Level and Self-Perceived Confidence of using Office Suite Applications among First Year Postgraduate Medical Students

Purpose: Basic knowledge of Office Suite Applications (OSA) such as Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentation Software is necessary for medical-postgraduate students for their academic and research activities. Our aim was to explore the literacy and self-perceived confidence of the medical-postgraduate students at entry level regarding OSA in a medical college in Delhi.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the first-year postgraduate students in a medical college in Delhi using a self-administered, structured and pre-validated questionnaire. A Likert scale was used to assess self-perceived confidence among the students. Responses to questions related to various OSA were scored to identify the literacy score for the application. Mann-Whitney U test was applied to find out significance of the observed differences between the median (IQR) literacy scores of the students regarding OSA based on their self-perceived confidence and previous use of the applications.Results: Median (IQR) literacy scores of the students for Word Processor was 2.0 (2.0- 3.0), Spreadsheet was 1.0 (0.0-2.0) and Presentation Software was 3.0 (2.0-4.0). The difference in the median scores of various OSA was statistically significant (Kruskal Wallis test P value <0.001). Although, majority perceived themselves to be confident about the use of Word Processor and Presentation Software, there was no significant difference in their median (IQR) scores over the students who reported themselves to be unconfident about those two OSA.Conclusion: Training medical postgraduate students to use the OSA and boost their self-perceived confidence in using them is required.

Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Undergraduate Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Depression, anxiety, and stress among medical undergraduate students are often underrecognized and undertreated. Prolonged online classes in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in tremendous psychological stress among students. Objective: To assess the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression among medical students during the COVID pandemic and the associated factors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students in a medical college in Delhi. A self-administrated questionnaire, containing general information (on-screen time, death or hospitalization in family due to COVID) and the DASS-21 version, was circulated to students enrolled before 2020. Data collected was tabulated in Microsoft Excel and analysed using SPSS version 23. Results: Out of 550 students, 345 (62.7%) participated in the study, of which 341 gave consent. High frequencies of depression 214 (62.8%), anxiety 199 (58.3%) and stress 150 (43.7%) were reported. Significant association was found between the determinants like hectic online classes and curbs on travelling and socializing. Conclusion: The high burden of depression, anxiety and stress detected among the students is a pointer towards a negative impact of online classes that can negatively impact academic performance, professionalism and empathy towards patients.

Medical students’ evaluation of competency-based and traditionaleducational environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure

Background:Competency-based medical education (CBME) was introduced in India in 2019 to transform the educational environment. Students’ perspectives are vital to incorporate positive changes and ameliorate shortcomings as important stakeholders. The authors have tried to capture these perceptions in the study. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2020 and May 2021 with randomly selected undergraduate student volunteers at a government medical college in Delhi, India. In all, 50 students were included from the first year enrolled in a competencybased curriculum and 50 from the second year studying a traditional curriculum. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to evaluate the perceptions of the educational environments. Results: Perception of learning (PL) showed a more positive response among the first-year students (using CBME) with a mean score of 32.18±6.32 in comparison to the second-year students following the traditional curriculum with a mean score of 29.04±7.29 (P=0.04). Total score, PL, students’ perception of teachers/teaching (PT), and academic self-perception (ASP) (P=0.03,<0.01, 0.02, 0.05 respectively), were higher in day-scholars in comparison to those who stayed in college-based housing (hostellers). Overall, no gender differences were seen. Conclusion: Better PL, a reduction in problem areas, and a favorable environment in day scholars compared to hostellers were all seen in students following the CBME method. Perceptions of the two groups of students concerning support systems and other aspects such as students irritating teachers, cheating, and perceived boredom were different. This analysis of the educational environment can serve as helpful feedback to curriculum designers.

Perceptions of undergraduate medical students towards online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic-experiences from a medical college in Delhi

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused upheaval in all aspects of our lives and education system has also faced disruptions. Medical teaching is of paramount importance as it is preparing future doctors for such emergencies. Though online teaching by the institutions and faculties has continued but it is also equally important to know the learners’ perspective, i.e.., the undergraduate medical students who have to cope-up with the change in teaching practices. To assess the perceptions of medical students regarding online learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. To understand the problems and apprehensions faced by these students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students of a medical college in Delhi. To ensure reliable results, a sample size of 50% was decided with equal representation from students studying in different professional years of MBBS. Results: Although medical students had used online learning earlier but it was not very preferable. Students faced challenges both due to unsatisfactory learning atmosphere at home and also technological issues associated with online learning. Students are also worried about lengthening of duration of the course and inadequate clinical exposure.Conclusions: Medical education system has to be prepared for blended learning by use of resources to overcome challenges associated with technological problems so as to facilitate learning of the students.

Correlates of problematic internet use among undergraduate medical students of Delhi

BackgroundGlobally, due to population diversity, the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) varies from 7.3 to 51%. This study aims to assess correlates of problematic internet use among undergraduate medical students of Delhi and derive a model for allocating new subjects among categories of internet users.Material and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 medical-undergraduate students in a medical college of Delhi from April 1st to May 31st, 2019. A semi-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect demographic information and factors affecting PIU. Dr. Kimberly Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) tool was used to assess PIU. Binary logistic regression has been applied to assess the correlates of PIU, and step-wise discriminant analysis (DA) has been applied to derive a model for allocation of new subjects among categories of internet users. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Trial version 27.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) software was used for statistical analysis.ResultTotal 41.3% of the subjects had PIU. Univariate analysis shows that internet use for emotional support, watching adult content, and gambling were significantly associated with PIU; however, in binary logistic regression, chatting, emotional support and watching online adult content were significant risk factors for PIU. The discriminant model correctly classified 66.2% of respondents into average and problematic internet user groups.ConclusionWe should create awareness among medical students regarding problematic internet use and its potential harms; this could be included in the foundation course of curriculum implementation support program (CISP) for MBBS students.

Utilization of antenatal care services and its sociodemographic correlates in urban and rural areas in Delhi, India

INTRODUCTIONTimely and quality antenatal care (ANC) is an essential element of universal health coverage and a key determinant for the prevention of maternal mortality. Nevertheless, evidence from large-scale health surveys in developing countries highlight a lack of access and utilization of antenatal care especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.METHODSA total of 200 women were recruited from urban and rural primary care service provision areas of a government medical college in Delhi during April 2016-2017. Women with infants were interviewed to assess the antenatal care received by them during their recently concluded pregnancy.RESULTSThe mean (SD) age of the participants was 25.6 (3.9) years. A total of 63 (31.5%) participants were primigravida, and 137 (68.5%) were multigravida. The knowledge of ANC was significantly higher in the participants that were more educated (p<0.001) but it was similar in both the urban and rural sites. Only 107 (53%) participants reported receiving comprehensive antenatal care defined as early registration of pregnancy (within 12 weeks), at least four ANC visits, two doses of tetanus toxoid, and at least 100 days of iron/folic acid supplementation (IFAS). The participants lacking knowledge of ANC had three times higher odds of suboptimal ANC utilization during their previous pregnancy (p=0.018). Furthermore, the ANC content was adequate in terms of medical service provision but deficient in terms of educational and counseling services.CONCLUSIONSA high prevalence of suboptimal ANC utilization was observed despite the availability of government-funded primary care.

Sleep Pattern and Perceived Stress among Undergraduate Students of a Medical College in Delhi

Sleep Pattern and Perceived Stress among Undergraduate Students of a Medical College in Delhi

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards COVID-19 among Undergraduate Students in a Medical College of Delhi

Background: Medical students play an important role in the prevention and control of COVID-19 by wayof disseminating knowledge regarding COVID-19 among the people. It is affected by their knowledge,attitude and practices about the disease.Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 in undergraduatemedical students.Methodology: A quick online survey was carried out among 316 participants with a self-designed, structuredquestionnaire in the form of goggle form. Cronbach’s alpha of the study instrument was 0.71.Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed by SPSS, version 25. Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, ANOVAand post hoc analysis were done.Results: A total of 316 participants completed the survey questionnaire. The mean COVID-19 knowledgescorewas 18.82±2.27 and overall 90% had correct knowledge. Knowledge scores significantly (p&lt;0.05)differed across age-groups and semesters. In post hoc analysis, mean knowledge score in 2nd semesterstudents (18.11±2.55) was significantly (p&lt;0.05) lower than that of 8th semester (19.56±1.66). Seventypercent respondents agreed that COVID-19 will finally be controlled,77.2% had confidence that India willwin the battle against COVID-19, and 90% of the respondents agreed that hand washing with soap waterwill prevent them from getting the infection. 96.2% participants avoid crowded places, 95.2% participantswore face masks while going outside home and 97.5%frequently washed hands with soap and water.Conclusion: In this study majority undergraduate students had good knowledge, showed optimistic attitudeand appropriate practice towards COVID-19. However, there is need and scope for improving knowledgeand practices so that every student adopts preventive and promotive measures against COVID-19.

Addiction-like behavior associated with social media usage in undergraduate students of a government medical college in Delhi, India.

Background:Excessive use of social media is increasingly being recognized as a source of technological addiction in young people globally.Objective:The aim of this study is to assess social media addiction in medical students using a self-designed questionnaire.Materials and Methods:We collected data from undergraduate medical students (MBBS) in Delhi, India using a self-administered 20-item social media addiction questionnaire (SMAQ) to measure addiction-like behavior, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality.Results:We enrolled 264 (62.3%) male and 160 (37.7%) female participants of mean (standard deviation) age 19.83 (1.6) years. The Cronbach's alpha of the SMAQ was 0.879. A principal component analysis revealed a 4-component SMAQ structure based on eigenvalue cutoff (>1), loading score >0.3, and inspection of the Scree-plot that explained 54.7% of the total variance. We observed strong loadings of impaired control items on Component 1, decreased alternate pleasure items on Component 2, intense desire items on Component 3, and harmful use items on Component 4. The mean SMAQ score was significantly higher in the students reporting poor sleep quality and older students.Conclusion:The SMAQ has acceptable psychometric properties, with higher scores associated with sleep deprivation. A majority of students were unable to reduce their time spent on social media despite wanting to do so, signifying the presence of tolerance and impaired control.

Dietary pattern amongst Medical college students, Delhi

Background: India is experiencing a transitional shift with more of new cases of Non Communicable Disease observed specially in young adults. One of the major reasons of this upsurge is faulty dietary habits, resulting in overweight and obesity and further rise in NCDs. The purpose of this study is to assess eating habits and nutritional risk factors for NCDs in a medical student of Medical college of Delhi. Methods: After explaining the purpose of the study in individual classroom explained questionnaire was mailed to all 300 medical college undergraduate students currently studying in this medical college. The form consists of questions on sociodemographic details including information about weights, height and eating habits including, drinking and smoking habits. Results: Filled forms were returned by 220 students out of which 204 were found to be complete and were considered for further analysis. Of total 204 students, 72 (35.3%) were females and 132 (64.7%) were males in our study. Regarding meals only 154 (75.5%) were found to be taking meals regularly i.e. more than 3 times a day and 82.4% (168) were having breakfast on regularly basis. Daily consumption of vegetable and legumes against recommended two times were found only in 41.2 (84) students, similarly daily fruit consumption against recommended two times was found only in 30.4% (62) students only. However fast-food consumption on daily basis was as high as 23.5% (48).Smoking was absent in students and alcohol intake was present in 3% of males (06) and reportedly absent in females. About 22.5% (46) was reported of doing some sort of exercise in a week but only 20 (9.8 %) were found to be doing exercise on daily basis. 156 (76.5%) sought some sort of information regarding balanced diet and 120 (58.8%) had reported to have adequate information about balance diet. Conclusion: Eating habits were found to be irregular among undergraduate medical students with regard to meals and daily intake of fruits and vegetables was found to be less than recommended norms. More efforts are required for improving eating practices of the students and also for adequate nutrition and its implication on health. Keywords: Eating Practices, MBBS students, Balanced diet, Junk food, Regular meals, Non comunicable diseases.

Pattern and determinants of obesity among undergraduate medical students of Delhi

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Obesity is one of the most serious public health challenge of 21st century. Overweight and obese children are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in their adolescent age group. For the last few years prevalence of obesity among adolescent has risen dramatically. According to few recent studies, prevalence of obesity is high among medical students. Aims and objectives of the research was to study the prevalence of obesity among undergraduate medical students and to assess the determinants of obesity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate medical students in a medical college of Delhi. A pre-designed, pretested and semi-structured interview schedule was used. And for anthropometric measurements, digital weighing scale for weight measurement, stadiometer for height measurement and non-stretchable inch tape for waist-circumference/hip-circumference (WC/HC) measurement. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; A total of 200 medical students were surveyed for a period of 6 months. It was observed that according to World Health Organization (WHO) Asian – pacific classification of body mass index (BMI), 21% (42/200) were overweight and 29% (58/200) were obese. Among the study participants, socio demographic variables which were found to be associated with increased BMI were mother’s education (p value=0.02), father’s education (p value=0.01) and type of the area (p value=0.03). Occupation of mothers and father was not found to be significantly associated with the BMI.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/strong&gt; Medical students are our future doctors and role model for the community, so it is very important to modify the dietary and lifestyle factors in order to decrease the prevalence of overweight and obesity among medical students.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards scientific research among undergraduate students of a medical college in Delhi

Background: Scientific research forms an important foundation for producing doctors with an understanding of evidence-based medicine. Medical education in India over a period has largely remained unchanged with a very low emphasis on research and publication. Objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards scientific research among undergraduate students of a medical college in Delhi, India.Methods: A cross sectional study was planned among 240 undergraduate students from five semesters of medical college in New Delhi. The questionnaire consisted of questions about identification data, knowledge, attitude and practices of scientific research. Data was analyzed by SPSS software version 21.0 and for qualitative data analysis Chi-square test was used.Results: Mean age of study subjects was 20.68±1.87 years and more than half (59.6%) of them were males and (40.4%) were females. Out of 240 participants, only (13.5%) had excellent knowledge about scientific research. Majority (89.6%) of them felt that research work should be a part of the medical curriculum. About one fourth (22.9%) of study participants had done a scientific research. Age of study participants and better knowledge were found significant predictors of conducting research among study participants.Conclusions: This study concludes that only few study participants had excellent knowledge and practice scientific research but majority of them had positive attitude towards research. So, there is a need to increase awareness about scientific research from an early level in the curriculum among study population.

Internet Addiction, Sleep Quality and Depressive Symptoms Amongst Medical Students in Delhi, India.

Today, the internet has become an important element in people's lives, and owing to internet access becoming widespread, it has resulted in internet addiction. It is a major concern amongst medical students aiming to develop into health professionals. The implications of this addiction as well as its association with sleep and depression affects their studies, impacts their career goals and has detrimental consequences for society as a whole. The objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of medical undergraduate students and interns with internet addiction (IA), depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality and to study the association of IA with sleep quality and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out in a medical college in Delhi. Universal sample consisting of all the medical students from first to final year (n = 185) and interns (n = 37) enrolled during the time of the study were included. Sleep quality, internet addiction and depressive symptoms in these students was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Young's Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ) respectively. The average YIAT score was 33.16 ± 15.68. Overall 18%, 59.9%, 46.8% of students scored above validated cutoff scores for internet addiction, poor sleep quality and depression respectively. Prevalence of IA among males and females were 20.4% and 12.9% respectively. Significant correlations were found between potential IA, sleep quality and depression (p < 0.001). The study concluded a strong correlation between IA, disturbed sleep quality and depression. Identifying medical students with potential IA is important because this addiction often coexists with other psychological problems. Thus timely remedial actions and tailored interventions are required to combat IA among medical students.

Awareness and perspectives on expansion of latent TB management among public-sector physicians and medical trainees in Delhi, India

More than one in two healthcare workers (HCWs) in developing countries have latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), an asymptomatic condition signifying persistent tubercular infection in absence of disease. Objectiveto evaluate the physician attitude towards LTBI preventive therapy and their perspectives regarding the potential expansion of latent TB management under the RNTCP. Material and methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 60 participants of a continuing medical education program during October' 2019 in a medical college in Delhi, India. ResultsWe enrolled a total of 30 medical officers, 15 resident doctors and 15 medical interns, comprising 27 (45%) males and 33 (55%) females. Only 9 (15%) participants were aware of existing RNTCP guidelines for programmatic management of LTBI. The median (IQR) self-rated willingness of the participants in receiving treatment for LTBI after confirmation of diagnosis on a 10 point continuous rating scale was 6 (5.8). The principal reason attributed to the treatment hesitancy were concerns over drug side effects 19 (31.7%), emergence of drug resistance 11 (18.3%) and the likelihood of reinfection 4 (6.7%). Support for expansion of preventive therapy among household TB contacts was varied, with maximum (41.2%) participants wanting it only for the comorbid patients. ConclusionLTBI preventive treatment is associated with considerable side effects and lack of long-term benefits by a majority of Indian physicians despite significant personal health concerns in treating pulmonary TB cases.

Attitude towards mobile learning among resident doctors involved in undergraduate medical education at a government medical college in Delhi, India.

BACKGROUND:There is growing recognition of the role of mobile learning (M-learning) for undergraduate (UG) academic education and teaching purposes, but teacher attitudes toward it can be variable.OBJECTIVE:To determine the attitudes toward the incorporation of M-learning methods for UG medical education among resident doctors at a government medical college in Delhi, India.METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3-months duration (2019) among 60 final year junior and senior resident doctors. The participants were selected from all the preclinical and paraclinical department, and one clinical department selected randomly based on the probability proportion to size method. The data was collected using self-administered instruments including the modified 20-item M-learning Perception Scale (MLPS).RESULTS:Social media (36.7%) and instant messaging platforms (85%) were routinely used by the participants for exchanging academic (medical) and health-related information. The mean score for all the MLPS item responses was >3, indicating positive attitudes toward M-Learning. The participants expressed maximum agreement with the views stating M-Learning can “supplement traditional teaching,” was “reliable for personal use,” and “improves the quality of lessons.” The responses of those participants having preexisting familiarity with health information and education portals, and those aware of massive open online courses correlated significantly with higher MLPS scores.CONCLUSION:M-learning is visualized as an increasingly relevant teaching and learning medium by early-career resident doctors involved in UG medical education in India.

Response to COVID-19: Best Practices From the Department of Community Medicine of a Medical College in Delhi

Public health response and measures are vital to contain an infectious disease outbreak/epidemic. The discipline of Community Medicine, which provides comprehensive primary health care to the entire population at all times, plays a crucial role in times of disease outbreak/epidemic also, being equipped with skills in providing managerial, clinical, and community care, through policy making, surveillance activities, preventive strategies, primary care, capacity building, and awareness generation in addition to generation of evidence-based strategies. The Departments of Community Medicine in Medical Colleges can play a crucial role in this direction and should be involved to share the expertise as well as the best practices adopted, which will go a long way in containing an epidemic at the earliest. The Department of Community Medicine of a leading Medical College in Delhi, along with the clinical departments, is playing a stellar role in response to the pandemic of Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). This article highlights the response to the situation, the challenges faced, and the success stories. Activities have been categorized as Fair, Good, and Best. Activities that are routinely performed are taken to be “Fair” and activities that are beyond routine activities have been labelled “Good”. “Best” practices have been identified to be those that involve representation at the national/State/District level, activities for capacity building, contribution toward evidence generation, and work with risk of exposure. The best practices adopted by the Department of Community Medicine of this institution can be collated for future use in teaching hospitals where Community Medicine departments are equipped with manpower skilled to face such a challenge. It will serve as a blueprint for action, if the need be, for handling similar situations in the future.