Medical Faculty Members Research Articles

Optimising co-design processes in telemedicine innovation-developing a telemedical solution for emergency medical services.

Stakeholder engagement plays a vital role in driving advancements in product development. This imperative now extends to the healthcare domain, driven by the scarcity of healthcare professionals and the pressing demand for effective solutions. Through the application of design thinking and co-design methodologies, this study endeavours to promote comprehensive stakeholder involvement, creating streamlined processes and adaptable templates geared towards fostering innovative solutions for tele-emergency medicine. In this study design thinking and co-design methods are developed, adapted, and tested, to create effective tools and demonstrate their application. This is part of a process involving stakeholders and lead users to develop a telemedicine solution for emergency medical services. This research is descriptive in kind, offering a transparent and holistic portrayal of the co-design process. The rural region of Burgenland in Austria was chosen for this study, with the challenges of its weak infrastructure offering valuable insights. The tools were tested in co-design workshops, with the participants continuously observed by the research team. Seventeen healthcare professionals, emergency medical technicians and academics participated in a co-design process to develop a telemedicine solution for emergency medical services. The results section presents practical co-creative healthcare innovation tools and templates that have been shown to facilitate the co-design process. The study developed and applied co-design elements for the creation of a prototype concept for telemedicine in emergency medicine and offers valuable insights for similar projects involving diverse stakeholders. It shows that structured co-design activities help all stakeholders to jointly create solutions that meet the overall needs.

Medical ethics education and awareness: Insights from a study among pakistani medical students and faculty members

This study investigated the knowledge and attitudes towards medical ethics among medical and dental students and faculty members at five medical universities in Karachi, Pakistan. Utilizing a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based design, the research included 438 participants. The study found that while a majority of participants were aware of the four basic principles of medical ethics, only 15.3% could correctly identify all of them. The primary mode of ethics education was through lectures and seminars, with less emphasis on interactive learning methods. The study also revealed a significant gap in faculty engagement and understanding of medical ethics. Although the majority of participants were aware of their institution's ethics committee, a significant proportion were unaware of its existence. The study highlights the need to enhance faculty engagement, address gaps in comprehensive understanding, adopt more interactive teaching methods, and increase the curricular emphasis on medical ethics in Pakistan.

Enhancing medical training in conflict zones and remote areas through innovation: introducing the Canadian Virtual Medical University Initiative

The WHO projects a global shortage of 4.3 million physicians by 2030, with the largest deficits in developing and conflict-affected regions. Our aim is to train competent physicians rapidly and affordably through remote education programs. We developed an online medical training curriculum with four levels, focusing on different aspects of human body systems using a competency-based, student-centered approach. This study evaluates the first three levels; level four (internship) is outside this scope. The 105 medical students from eight Afghan universities were randomly assigned to nine groups. The curriculum includes Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) for the cardiovascular system: level 1 covers basic medical sciences, level 2 pathology and basic clinical skills, and level 3 full clinical competencies. EPAs were delivered asynchronously online via Lecturio, CyberPatient, and Zoom. The 30-day intervention included 4h of weekly online classes for formative assessment, collaborative learning, and evaluation, supervised by medical faculty members. Virtual pre- and post-intervention evaluations used multiple-choice questions and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). We also conducted a satisfaction survey and open interview forum. Data triangulation from observations, surveys, and interviews validated curriculum effectiveness. The benchmarking method assessed cost-effectiveness. Pre- and post-intervention analysis showed a significant increase in clinical competencies and knowledge acquisition (P<0.0001). The CyberPatient intervention improved clinical competency quality (P<0.0001) and shortened decision-making time (P<0.001). Cost analysis revealed that a virtual medical university would be 95% more cost-effective than traditional medical education. Integrating virtual technology with modern curriculum concepts in pre-internship years can effectively address healthcare training gaps and enhance education quality for healthcare workers at a low cost. Provided by CanHealth International. A UBC spin-off not-for-profit organization.

The promise and challenges of Artificial Intelligence-Large Language Models (AI-LLMs) in obstetric and gynecology

HIGHLIGHTS 1. The article highlights how Artificial Intelligence with Large Language Models (AI-LLMs) greatly improves diagnosis and treatment personalization in obstetrics &amp; gynecology, and also enhances medical education through interactive simulations and up-to-date learning materials.2. The article also discusses the ethical issues linked to AI, emphasizing the need for cooperation among different stakeholders to use AI responsibly in medicine, focusing on protecting data privacy and minimizing reliance on technology. ABSTRACT The introduction of Artificial Intelligence through Large Language Models (AI-LLM) into medicine holds great promise for improving patient care and medical education, especially in obstetrics and gynecology. AI-LLM can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficiency by utilizing large medical databases, which is especially useful for dealing with rare diseases that are difficult to document or understand by human practitioners alone. In addition, AI-LLM can provide informed patient care recommendations by analyzing large amounts of data and providing insights based on unique patient profiles, with the added benefit of being accessible 24/7 via the internet. This constant availability ensures that patients receive prompt information and assistance as needed. In the field of education, AI-LLMs enhance the learning experience by incorporating interactive simulations into the curriculum, improving medical students' and professionals' practical knowledge. They also ensure that educational materials are always up-to-date reflecting the most recent research and worldwide medical standards. This access latest information from global resources helps to bridge the educational gap, making advanced knowledge more accessible to learners regardless of their geographic location. However, the introduction of AI-LLMs is not without challenges. Ethical issues, such as data privacy and the risk of overreliance on technology, must be addressed. Effective management of these concerns necessitates collaboration among medical professionals, technological experts, academics, hospital committees, and representatives of patients. This multidisciplinary teamwork is vital for upholding ethical norms and preserving patient dignity and respect. AI-LLMs can considerably improve both patient care and medical education in obstetrics and gynecology provided they are appropriately balanced with innovation and ethics.

The case of the neonate vs. LMIC medical academia-a jury-style systematic review of 32 years of literature without significant mortality reduction.

The high neonatal mortality rate in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nigeria has lasted for more than 30 years to date with associated nursing fatigue. Despite prominent hard work, technological improvements, and many publications released from the country since 1990, the problem has persisted, perhaps due to a lack of intervention scale-up. Could there be neglected discoveries unwittingly abandoned by Nigerian policymakers over the years, perhaps locked up in previous publications? A careful review may reveal these insights to alert policymakers, inspire researchers, and refocus in-country research efforts towards impactful directions for improving neonatal survival rates. The focus was to determine the prevailed effectiveness of LMIC medical academia in creating solutions to end the high neonatal mortality rate. An unconventional systematic review protocol structure following the PRISMA 2020 checklist was designed and registered at INPLASY (registration number: INPLASY202380096, doi: 10.37766/inplasy2023.8.0096). A jury of paediatricians was assembled and observed by a team of legal professionals. The jury searched the literature from 1990 to the end of 2022, extracted newborn-related articles about Nigeria, and assessed and debated them against expected criteria for solution creation, translation, scale-up, sustainability, and national coverage. Each juror used preset criteria to produce a verdict on the possibility of a published novel idea being a potential game-changer for improving the survival rate of Nigerian neonates. A summation of the results showed that 19 out of 4,286 publications were assessed to possess potential strategies or interventions to reduce neonatal mortality. Fourteen were fully developed but not appropriately scaled up across the country, hence denying neonates proper access to these interventions. Nigeria may already have the required game-changing ideas to strategically scale up across the nation to accelerate neonatal survival. Therefore, LMIC healthcare systems may have to look inward to strengthen what they already possess. https://inplasy.com/, identifier (INPLASY202380096).

Analysis of the impact of auniversity distance learning course on digitalization in medicine on students and healthcare professionals.

The public medical universities in Austria (educating 11,000 students) developed ajoint public distance learning series in which clinicians discussed current digital lighthouse projects in their specialty. This study aims to examine the changes in attitude and knowledge of the participants before and after the lecture series to gain insights for future curriculum developments. The lecture series was announced via various channels at the universities, in health newsletters and in social media. Attitudes toward digitalization in medicine were surveyed before and after the lecture series, together with demographic data. The data were analyzed statistically and descriptively for four groups of interest: female medical students, male medical students, faculty members and members from industry and public agencies. Out of 351 subjects who attended at least 1 lecture, 117 took part in the survey before and 47 after the lectures. Most participants had apositive attitude towards digitalization (85.3%). They improved their self-assessment of their knowledge from 34.4% to 64.7% (p < 0.05). After the lecture series 55.8% of participants considered digital medical applications to be important or very important today and 68.6% in the future. The study shows that the presentation and discussion of lighthouse projects improves understanding of digitalization in medicine but does not trigger astrong desire for additional further training.

Use Of Library Resources By Medical Students And Faculty Members: Pilot Study

Use Of Library Resources By Medical Students And Faculty Members: Pilot Study

Empowering Maneuvers: Boldly Mobilizing Military Medical Research and Training within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Safeguard a Nation and its People.

In 2023 Alkhathami and colleagues from the Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's transformative upgrades across various sectors, notably including enhancements to the healthcare system, and called for action to extend these upgrades to the military healthcare field. Prompted by this call to action, the leadership of the military healthcare system swiftly commenced initiatives, acting in less than three months from this pivotal appeal. In January 2023 the first author ordered a decree via the General Directorate of Armed Forces Medical Services of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with US central Command and international partners, to host the 3rd International Conference of Military Medicine. The event graciously welcoming more than 1000 military representatives from 20 participating nations. The Military Medical Conference, fostering a global military community dialogue on the necessity to explore collective capacities to endure and overcome humanitarian challenges, thereby sustaining health, promoting well-being, and nurturing life through strategies that align with the insights of Alkhathami et al. (2023). The response and the need underlined by the original article are discussed by the Major General, staff of the Saudi Military Medical Services and academics from the University of Sharjah.

AI-Assisted English Language Learning for Cross-Cultural Medical Education in Multilingual Settings

In the interconnected world of global healthcare, proficiency in the English language serves as a crucial cornerstone for medical professionals as it facilitates access to a vast wealth of knowledge, collaborative research, and international dialogue. However, the challenge of developing not only linguistic proficiency but also cross-cultural competence within multilingual medical settings remains a significant challenge. This article investigates the innovative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in transcending these barriers through AI-assisted English language learning, aimed at enriching cross-cultural medical education. It underscores the critical role of English in medical academia and practice by highlighting the consequential divide that language barriers can impose on non-native English speakers. Furthermore, it investigates the nuances of cross-cultural communication within healthcare by emphasizing the necessity for cultural competence amongst healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive patient care across diverse cultural backgrounds. The investigation extends into an analysis of current AI technologies in language learning, evaluating their capacity to offer personalized, immersive learning experiences that go beyond mere linguistic acquisition to include cultural nuances and medical terminologies. Through an examination of case studies, the article presents successful integrations of AI-assisted language learning tools in medical education. And also, it illustrates their impact on improving English proficiency, cultural awareness, and ultimately, patient care in multilingual environments. Similarly, this article argues for a more inclusive approach to medical education. It proposes the utilization of AI technology, envisioning a future where AI-assisted English language learning becomes an integral component of medical curricula. This approach aims to foster a generation of healthcare professionals equipped with both the linguistic skills and cultural sensitivities required to negotiate the complexities of global healthcare.

Evaluating the impact of an educational intervention on the history of racism in America for teaching structural competency to medical academicians

BackgroundA challenge facing many Academic Health Centers (AHCs) attempting to revise health professions education to include the impact of racism as a social and structural determinant of health (SSDoH) is a lack of broad faculty expertise to reinforce and avoid undermining learning modules addressing this topic. To encourage an institutional culture that is in line with new anti-racism instruction, we developed a six-part educational series on the history of racism in America and its impact on contemporary health inequities for teaching structural competency to health professions academicians.MethodsWe developed a six-hour elective continuing education (CE) series for faculty and staff with the following objectives: (1) describe and discuss race as a social construct; (2) describe and discuss the decolonization of the health sciences and health care; (3) describe and discuss the history of systemic racism and structural violence from a socio-ecological perspective; and (4) describe and discuss reconciliation and repair in biomedicine. The series was spread over a six-month period and each monthly lecture was followed one week later by an open discussion debriefing session. Attendees were assessed on their understanding of each objective before and after each series segment.ResultsWe found significant increases in knowledge and understanding of each objective as the series progressed. Attendees reported that the series helped them grapple with their discomfort in a constructive manner. Self-selected attendees were overwhelmingly women (81.8%), indicating a greater willingness to engage with this material than men.ConclusionsThe series provides a model for AHCs looking to promote anti-racism and structural competency among their faculty and staff.

Transforming clinical clerkship processes with integrated information systems

There are still many manual administrative processes involved in clinical clerkships. However, digital technologies and software solutions can significantly improve medical education. This paper aims to utilize extreme programming (XP) as a methodology for developing the information system. A total of 23 user stories have been planned for completion. The priority of each requirement stated in the user stories is determined using the MoSCoW prioritization technique. The results indicate that the software successfully passed all tests among the 23 black box testing scenarios. Developing an integrated information system to streamline clinical clerkships has been successfully achieved. The user experience questionnaire (UEQ) is utilized to gather the perspectives of hospital management and medical faculty members regarding the information system. The average scores for each category are as follows: 1.93 for attractiveness, 2.04 for perspicuity, 2.20 for efficiency, 2.06 for dependability, 2.14 for stimulation, and 1.85 for novelty. Therefore, it can be concluded that all existing user experience scales exhibit an outstanding degree of user satisfaction.

The impact of repeated item development training on the prediction of medical faculty members’ item difficulty index

BackgroundItem difficulty plays a crucial role in assessing students’ understanding of the concept being tested. The difficulty of each item needs to be carefully adjusted to ensure the achievement of the evaluation’s objectives. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether repeated item development training for medical school faculty improves the accuracy of predicting item difficulty in multiple-choice questions.MethodsA faculty development program was implemented to enhance the prediction of each item’s difficulty index, ensure the absence of item defects, and maintain the general principles of item development. The interrater reliability between the predicted, actual, and corrected item difficulty was assessed before and after the training, using either the kappa index or the correlation coefficient, depending on the characteristics of the data. A total of 62 faculty members participated in the training. Their predictions of item difficulty were compared with the analysis results of 260 items taken by 119 fourth-year medical students in 2016 and 316 items taken by 125 fourth-year medical students in 2018.ResultsBefore the training, significant agreement between the predicted and actual item difficulty indices was observed for only one medical subject, Cardiology (K = 0.106, P = 0.021). However, after the training, significant agreement was noted for four subjects: Internal Medicine (K = 0.092, P = 0.015), Cardiology (K = 0.318, P = 0.021), Neurology (K = 0.400, P = 0.043), and Preventive Medicine (r = 0.577, P = 0.039). Furthermore, a significant agreement was observed between the predicted and actual difficulty indices across all subjects when analyzing the average difficulty of all items (r = 0.144, P = 0.043). Regarding the actual difficulty index by subject, neurology exceeded the desired difficulty range of 0.45–0.75 in 2016. By 2018, however, all subjects fell within this range.ConclusionRepeated item development training, which includes predicting each item’s difficulty index, can enhance faculty members’ ability to predict and adjust item difficulty accurately. To ensure that the difficulty of the examination aligns with its intended purpose, item development training can be beneficial. Further studies on faculty development are necessary to explore these benefits more comprehensively.

Potential challenges to using competency frameworks as a tool for a variety of important decisions related to medical faculty members

Potential challenges to using competency frameworks as a tool for a variety of important decisions related to medical faculty members

Memes Adoption in Basic Medical Science Education as a Successful Learning Model: A Mixed Method Quasi-Experimental Study.

Basic medical sciences are of a solid abstract nature.Pharmacologyis a challenging discipline delivered in all healthcare-related curricula with different aims and goals. Memes are one of aiding instructional designs proved to surge students' performance and satisfaction with the educational process. Apart from assessing medical students' and faculty's perception of meme use in pharmacology learning, the current study aimed to explore the criteria of preferences and factors associated with successful memes' adoption in this discipline as one of the most challenging basic medical sciences. A biphasic study was conducted among second-year undergraduate medical students and faculty members. The study involved assessing the perceptions of staff and students, and thematic content analysis was performed on the narrative responses of the participants to explore factors contributing to the success of learning memes. Additionally, students' performance was also analyzed. The use of memes in pharmacology was well perceived by medical students, with a mean satisfaction rating of 4.5/5 for high-achieving students and 4.33 for low-achieving students. Memes were associated with a performance surge (p = 0.022). Six themes emerged as criteria for a successful learning experience of meme use: previous scientific background on the meme topic, scenario context of the meme, learning concepts tackled by memes, the simplicity of meme's message, the relevance of meme's message to practice, and the modality of meme's use in the topic of education. Regarding the perception of meme use in pharmacology learning, four themes emerged:the mode and engagement oflearning experience mode,thefeasibility of meme use in pharmacology learning, students'attitudestowards further meme inclusion in their study, andtheperceived impact ofmemeson students' cognitive skills. The use of memes in pharmacology yields positive learning outcomes. A careful selection of memes is required to ensure a successful learning experience.

Medical researchers’ perceptions regarding research evaluation: a web-based survey in Japan

ObjectivesJapanese medical academia continues to depend on quantitative indicators, contrary to the general trend in research evaluation. To understand this situation better and facilitate discussion, this study aimed to examine...

A qualitative study on the adoption of the new duty hour regulations among medical residents and faculty in Korea.

Duty hour regulations (DHRs) were enforced in 2017 in Korea to prevent the detrimental effects of excessively prolonged working hours among medical residents. We investigated the adoption of and implications of the new DHRs among medical residents and faculty members. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 medical residents and 9 faculty members across general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and pediatrics departments at Chonnam National University Hospital. Based on the constructivist grounded theory, we developed themes from the data by concurrent coding and analysis with theoretical sampling until data saturation. In addition, respondent validation was used to ensure accuracy, and all authors remained reflexive throughout the study to improve validity. The methods of DHRs adoption among residents and faculty members included the following 4 themes: DHRs improved work schedule, residents have more time to learn on their own, clinical departments have come to distribute work, organization members have strived to improve patient safety. Residents have undertaken initial steps towards creating a balance between personal life and work. Teamwork and shift within the same team are the transitions that minimize discontinuity of patient care considering patient safety. Teaching hospitals, including faculty members, should ensure that residents' work and education are balanced with appropriate clinical experience and competency-based training.

Development of a rural strategy for an urban-based medical program: a pragmatic reality.

Health disparities between rural and urban areas in Aotearoa New Zealand are exacerbated by rural workforce issues. Traditionally, undergraduate medical programs are urban-based, and reconfiguring the curriculum to meet the needs of rural communities is challenging. The aim of this project is explore how urban-located universities might develop and implement a rural strategy. Evaluation of a rural strategy may lead to the strategy's ongoing improvements designed to increase the rural workforce. This is a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with purposively selected key stakeholders. Enquiry included the systematic identification of processes required to develop a rural strategy, including possible facilitators and challenges to be addressed. Qualitative analysis of de-identified data was conducted using a thematic approach. Fourteen stakeholders were interviewed: four rural GPs, two rural hospital doctors, four administrators involved in placing students, and four senior medical academics with involvement in the regional and rural programs. Five overarching themes were identified: (1) developing rural pathways into medical school, (2) improving and expanding rural exposures, (3) developing rural GP pathways, (4) implementing interprofessional education and (5) having a social mission. These findings align with the literature relating to developing rural strategies for universities. However, this study also suggested that rural health interprofessional programs may have a role. A key finding was that the social mission of a university may not be visible to rural stakeholders. Reorientating an urban-located university to having a rural strategy requires moving past having policy around social accountability to operationalising it.

Roles and competencies of medical faculty members: A competency framework

Purpose Medical education requires competent faculty members with the ability to create change in medical education. The focus on teacher competency are emerged as the results of medical education movements toward learner competency. The purpose of this study was to identify medical faculties competencies in their main roles and to provide a competency framework. Method The integrative review approach was utilized for identifying competencies and expert opinions was conducted to assigned competencies to roles and academic ranks. The search strategies were conducted in online databases including PubMed, Scopus, WOS and Eric to detect studies published from May 2003 to May 2023. Results The identified competencies were classified to four themes including (1) essential personal competencies, (2) technical/functional competencies, (3) enabling competencies, and (4) meta-competencies. Conclusion According to the results, a competency framework was proposed which is a valuable tool for various important decisions related to faculty, such as promotions and tenurship.

Job stress and burnout affecting the mental health of Korean medical faculty members: constructing causality among latent variables.

This study aims to examine whether perceived levels of job stress, burnout, and mental health are different according to demographic characteristics and working conditions and to investigate the direct and indirect effects of job stress and burnout on the mental health of medical faculty members. The study sample consists of 855 faculty members in 40 medical schools nationwide in the 2020 Burnout of Faculty Members of Medical Schools in Korea data with a grant from the Korean Association of Medical Colleges. This study employed structural equation modeling to construct causality among latent variables in addition to t-test, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients for bivariate analyses. Perceived job stress, burnout, and mental health levels of medical faculty members showed significant group differences by demographic characteristics and working conditions. Job stress directly affected mental health (β=0.215, p<0.01) and indirectly affected mental health via burnout (β=0.493, p<0.001). Thus burnout significantly mediated the relationship between job stress and the mental health of medical faculty members. This study found that job stress has direct and indirect effects on the mental health of medical faculty members, and burnout partially mediated this relationship. Further studies need to intervene in job stress and burnout to prevent the adverse mental health of medical faculty members and to introduce proper measures to improve working conditions affecting job stress and burnout.

“Scientific Horizons: Student Research with MedWrite Academy”

MedWrite Academy is an internship program specifically designed for aspiring medical and pre-medical students. Our primary objective is to equip students with the essential skills required to transform their innovative ideas into well-structured research papers. At MedWrite Academy, we believe in the power of collaboration and learning through experience. Students are carefully grouped with peers who share similar interests, creating a dynamic learning environment. This grouping fosters not only intellectual growth but also cultural exchange, as our students come from diverse backgrounds around the globe. Each group is guided by an experienced mentor who provides personalized guidance and support throughout the research process. These mentors are dedicated to helping students navigate the complexities of research methodology, data analysis, and academic writing. Their expertise ensures that each student's idea is nurtured and developed into a high-quality, publishable research article. Being a fully virtual internship, MedWrite Academy offers flexibility and accessibility, allowing students from any part of the world to participate without geographical constraints. This unique feature opens doors for international networking and collaboration, enriching the learning experience. Our program not only focuses on academic growth but also aims to develop key professional skills such as teamwork, communication, and time management. MedWrite Academy is the perfect platform for students looking to enter the world of medical research and academia. Join us and turn your ideas into impactful research!