Positive Attitude Scale Research Articles

Medical Students' Readiness for Prescription Communication Skills Training: A Needs Assessment Study.

Background and objectives The quality of doctor-patient communication plays a crucial role in determining positive medical outcomes. Medical educators may be able to develop effective programs to orient the students toward learning communication skills with the aid of assessment of the attitude of medical students toward such learning. Recently, the National Medical Commission's updated syllabus strongly emphasized on the value of training in prescription communication skills (PCS), in pharmacology. Our study utilizes the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) to explore medical students' attitudes toward learning PCS in a private medical college, aiming to address the dearth of data in the Indian context. Methodology This cross-sectional study assessed the attitudes of 131 second-year medical students at Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences toward PCS training. Validated, 26-item CSAS was used to measure their attitudes which include 13 items of Positive Attitude Scale (PAS) and 13 items of Negative Attitude Scale (NAS), and data analysis was conducted using independent t-tests to explore potential associations based on socio-demographic factors. Results The study scale showed an acceptable internal consistency of 0.71 (Cronbach's alpha) with 0.92 and 0.76 for PAS and NAS, respectively. The overall mean PAS score and NAS score were 54.2±6.9 and 34.7±6.3, respectively, indicating that the majority of students recognized the significance of communication skills for their future medical practice. Male students had significantly lower PAS scores (52.1±7.4) compared to female students (55±6.6) (p=0.02). Students with a rural background had significantly higher PAS scores (56.2±6.1) (p=0.01) compared to those with an urban background (53.2±9.8). No significant association was seen with demographic parameters like schooling background, presence of doctors in the family, and mother tongue they spoke. Conclusion The study revealed that second-year medical students had a strong inclination toward learning PCS. Therefore, greater emphasis should be placed on providing adequate training in PCS to the students to ensure effective doctor-patient interactions.

Attitude of Medical and Dental Undergraduate Students Towards Learning of Communication Skills at a Medical College: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Proper physician-patient communication has shown to impact patients' satisfaction, and better health outcomes. On the contrary, negative impacts of poor communication have been attributed as one of the causes of increasing workplace violence. It is imperative to identify the attitude of the students towards communication skill learning. The aim of the study was to find out the attitude of undergraduate students towards communication skill learning using the communication skill attitude scale. This cross-sectional study was carried out from October, 2022 to July 2023 among undergraduate medical and dental students. Data was collected after obtaining the ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee (IRC number 2079/80/82) using a preformed proforma and the previously validated communication skills attitude scale questionnaire. Convenience sampling was done. The demographic details, educational characteristics, opinions regarding communication learning and median of positive and negative attitude scale scores were calculated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The total median (interquartile range) positive attitudes scale (PAS) and negative attitudes scale (NAS) scores were 52.00 (48.00-87.00) and 31.00 (28.00-34.00) respectively. The first year of undergraduates had higher PAS scores 56.00 (50.00-60.00) than final year 48.50 (44.25-55.00). The students who were in favour of CS learning during the clinical years of training had a higher PAS median score, 54.00 (49.00-58.00). The undergraduates had overall positive attitude towards CS learning but negative attitudes were also noted, with deterioration in the scores from first to final year of undergraduation, reiterating the importance of strengthening CS learning in the curriculum early-on in the study period.

Attitudes toward communication skills with learner needs assessment within radiology residency programs in China: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundCommunication skills (CS) represent a core competency in radiology residency training. However, no structured curriculum exists to train radiology residents in CS in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the status and prevalence of doctor–patient communication training among radiology residents in nine Chinese accredited radiology residency training programs and to determine whether there is a perceived need for a formalized curriculum in this field.MethodsWe administered a cross-sectional online survey to radiology residents involved in CS training at nine standard residency training programs in China. The questionnaire developed for this study included CS training status, residents’ demographics, attitudes toward CS training, communication needs, and barriers. Residents’ attitudes toward CS training were measured with the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) and its subscales, a positive attitude scale (PAS) and negative attitude scale (NAS).ResultsA total of 133 (48.36%) residents participated in the survey. The mean total scores on the two dimensions of the CSAS were 47.61 ± 9.35 in the PAS and 36.34 ± 7.75 in the NAS. Factors found to be significantly associated with the PAS included receiving previous training in CS, medical ethics, or humanities and the doctor’s attire. We found that first-year residents and poor personal CS were the most influential factors on the NAS. Only 58.65% of participants reported having previously received CS training during medical school, and 72.93% of respondents reported failure in at least one difficult communication during their residency rotation. Most of those surveyed agreed that CS can be learned through courses and were interested in CS training. Some of the most common barriers to implementing formal CS training were a lack of time, no standardized curriculum, and a lack of materials and faculty expertise.ConclusionsMost residents had a very positive attitude toward CS training and would value further training, despite the limited formal CS training for radiology residents in China. Future efforts should be made to establish and promote a standard and targeted CS curriculum for Chinese radiology residents.

Determinants of an HIV Preventive Vaccine among a Highly Vulnerable Population: African American Men Who Have Sex with Men.

African American men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately impacted by HIV and may benefit from the development of an HIV vaccine. African American MSM are adversely affected by discrimination as a function of both their race and sexual behaviors. This may further increase the challenges associated with persuading them to adopt an HIV vaccine. Developing a knowledge base characterizing African American MSM HIV vaccine perceptions, attitudes, and concerns may help strengthen how healthcare providers and other health stakeholders describe and discuss the advent of an HIV vaccine. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and intentions related to HIV vaccination among African American MSM. This study comprised 432 African American MSM, 18-64 years, residing in the United States. Vaccine intention was defined as how likely it is that an individual would adopt an HIV vaccine if a vaccine was available and it was 90% effective against HIV, easy to obtain, free, and had few side effects. Relative to African American MSM who intend to delay receiving an HIV vaccination, controlling for age, education, and income, early vaccine adopters who had received ≥ 2 COVID-19 vaccinations and who had high WHO HIV Vaccine Positive Attitude Scale scores were, respectively, 3.2 times and 2.4 times more likely to report the intention to vaccinate within one year. Early vaccine adopters were also 2.4 times more likely to feel that HIV prevention support discriminates against African American MSM. Those reporting three or more sexual partners and medical mistrust were, respectively, 60% and 59% more likely to report the intention to delay HIV vaccination. The lack of a knowledge base on HIV vaccine perceptions and acceptability is a missed opportunity to provide guidance on how stakeholders, such as health providers and policymakers, should address HIV vaccine hesitancy once this crucial vaccine is licensed. The key factors affecting vaccine adoption are valuable in developing and implementing campaigns to enhance the HIV vaccine coverage in this vulnerable population.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among Physicians Regarding Pain Management in Patients with SCD

Introduction Pain from vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) is the most common symptom experienced by patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). It is also the most common cause for emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions. Nevertheless, clinical studies of appropriateness of treatment provided during these episodes are sparse, and there are concerns that care for these patients is both inadequate and doesn't meet guidelines. Therefore, studies assessing the healthcare practitioners' knowledge and practice in pain management in SCD patients are an integral component in the process of improving the care provided to this vulnerable population. The goal of our study is to assess adherence of physicians caring for SCD patients to the published guidelines in pain management (published by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and American Pain Society), and to identify risk factors for self-reported non-adherence. Thus this study should provide an opportunity for focused strategies to improve patients' care. Moreover, this study is particularly important for The State of Qatar, as the burden of SCD in it is among the highest in the entire world. Materials and Methods This is a cross-sectional convenience sample survey study of physicians in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Emergency departments in two hospitals under Hamad Medical Corporation, the main health care provider in The State of Qatar. It is conducted using a validated written survey consisting of 34 items to assess provider attitudes and practices with SCD patients. Excel program and SPSS version 29 were used for data analysis. Continuous data was analyzed descriptively using median (IQR). Mann Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare average between groups at alpha level = 0.05). Results: We have 130 eligible participants with an 85% complete response rate (111 completed surveys). Most physicians self-report adherence to using parenteral opioids (81%) and acetaminophen (77.5%). Self-reported adherence is lower for other recommendations including redosing opioids within 30 minutes if analgesia is inadequate (21%), use of patient-controlled analgesia (18%), sparing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (66%) and using hypotonic fluids for euvolemic patients (5%). Factors that are associated with significant differences in analgesic practices in our study include age and race. For example, male physicians are more likely to use acetaminophen, and physicians who identified as "Others" under the category of race versus Whites, Blacks and Asians are more likely to administer morphine (P value = 0.015) during VOC. Other factors such as age, level of practice, and department are not associated with significant differences in analgesic practices. Furthermore, analgesic practices are affected by physicians' attitudes. Interestingly, high scores on both the positive and negative attitudes scales (thought to reflect opposing perceptions of individuals with SCD) are both associated with more frequent use of acetaminophen. Unexpectedly, and as shown in the table below, high scores on negative attitudes scale are associated with more frequent use of morphine, while high scores on positive attitudes scale are associated with less frequent use of it. Discussion and conclusion A large number of SCD patients will have at least one VOC annually. There's an association between the number and severity of these crises and mortality rate. Also, these crises affect patients' quality of life, economic contribution, and overall satisfaction. The cornerstones of managing VOC are parenteral opioids and frequent reassessments. Our data show that the majority of surveyed physicians report that they adhere to guidelines about the use of opioids and acetaminophen for the treatment of VOC, while other recommendations have less penetration. Positive and negative attitudes toward SCD patients are not associated with lower adherence to guidelines. Our data indicate that penetration of many of these recommendations into practice is poor. A policy statement from respective professional societies may help expert recommendations to penetrate the providers' practice. Furthermore, interventions to improve attitudes towards SCD patients should be undertaken, since these attitudes can exert some effects on patients' care. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Communication Skills (CS) training of physicians in China and its role in actual challenges of patient-physician relationship: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe Chinese healthcare system is affected by frequent disputes between physicians and patients. Although recent reforms have contributed towards improving the patient-physician relationship, distrust in physicians is still high. Communication skills (CS) training of physicians holds the key to improving patient confidence and diffusing stressful situations. This survey reports on the status of CS training in medical education in China, and the experiences and attitudes of physicians towards CS training.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted at medical institutions across China. A questionnaire developed for this study included the status of CS training, current aspects of patient-physician relationships, perceived own CS and patient-centeredness with Likert-scaled items from 1 (most negative) to 6 (most positive). Physicians’ attitude towards CS training was measured with the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) and its subscales PAS (Positive Attitude Scale) and NAS (Negative Attitude Scale). Data were analyzed descriptively and for group differences between the hospital level and operating vs. non-operating physicians. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to find associations explaining the occurrence of verbal and physical attacks and the role of CS attitudes.ResultsOut of 1080 questionnaires, 772 physicians met inclusion criteria. A total of 466/772 participants (60.4%) had received at least one CS training during their career. The participants rated the current situation related to patient-physician relationship in China as highly stressful (mean = 4.52, SD = 1.26, 95% CI: 4.43–4.60), experiencing verbal attacks in the past three years once a year in 372/772 cases (48.2%) and physical attacks 111/772 times (14.4%). The mean PAS was 62.96 (SD = 7.63, 95% CI: 62.41–63.47). Being female was associated with increased risk of verbal attacks (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.01–2.25) while working in a tertiary hospital and showing high levels of PAS decreased this risk (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43–0.89, and OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93–0.98). Having received a previous CS training decreased the odds of physical attacks (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35–0.83).ConclusionsA majority of Chinese physicians showed a high positive attitude towards CS training, were trained in CS and would value further training. Our results highlight that CS training is likely to promote patient-centered communication and reduce attacks against physicians. Both of these effects are to improve the patient-physician-relationship in the long run. More CS training should be offered to Chinese physicians, especially at secondary- and primary-care hospitals, where such practices remain infrequent.

Assessment of Psychiatrists and Nurses’ Attitudes toward Suicide Behaviour

Background: Psychiatrists and nurses are anticipated to prevent suicide behaviour, but their limited experience and lack of knowledge of patients with suicidal attempts have influenced their perception. A significant association between health care providers’ attitudes and the course of suicidal behaviour treatment. Purpose: current scientific paper aimed to assess Psychiatrists’ and nurses’ attitudes towards suicide and suicide attempters in Saudi Arabia. Method: Cross-sectional investigation was conducted in a Psychiatric hospital in North Saudi Arabia. A convenience sample of psychiatrists and nurses (N = 132). The response rate was 88%. The Modified Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was employed to evaluate psychiatrists’ and nurses’ attitudes toward suicide. Results: attitudes toward suicide behaviour among psychiatrists and nurses were positive. The findings of these studies demonstrate that psychiatrists and nurses held positive attitudes toward suicide in the categories of professional role, beliefs, communication and seeking attention. Also, the evidence revealed in the current paper demonstrates that psychiatrists expressed more positive attitudes toward suicidal behaviour than nursing staff. Moreover, psychiatrists and nurses who have a higher level of education recorded higher scores on the positive attitudes scale towards suicidal behaviour. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference between respondents’ attitudes toward suicide behaviour and their years of experience. Finally, psychiatrists and nurses who have a personal history of suicide behaviour have more positive attitudes toward suicide ideation. Conclusion/Implication for Future Practice: Psychiatrists and nurses had favourable attitudes towards suicide attempters. Health care organizations need to provide support to professionals by exposing them to suicide prevention programs and it was expected to improve and enhance the attitudes toward suicidal behaviour. In addition, psychiatrists and nurses, when they are aware of their opinions and attitudes toward suicide behaviour, can help their patients through the expression of their own thoughts and fears, which can lead to increased communication and trust.

Introducing Communication Skills Training among Interns using Attitude, Ethics, and Communication Module.

Communication skills are the backbone for patient care services such as patient interviews, counseling the patient, and explaining treatment options. The present study was conceived to evaluate the communication training program and perceptions of medical interns and faculty regarding the same. Sixty medical interns were included in this cross-sectional study. Training on communication skills was imparted which was later assessed on the basis of Kalamazoo scale. Attitude of the interns regarding communication skill training was assessed using Rees and Sheard Scale. The attitude of faculty regarding introduction of communication skill was also assessed. The mean score on Kalamazoo Consensus Scale was 19.65 ± 4.97 with a range of 10-29. Females had a higher score (21.09 ± 5.80) as compared to males (17.88 ± 3.21), but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.157). The mean score for positive and negative attitude scale was 59.15 ± 5.51 and 25.20 ± 9.60. The ability to communicate effectively is a core competency expected of medical graduates and communication skills training of medical students and interns with the help of didactic lectures, role plays, and videos, etc., can go a long way in improving their communication skills.

Attitude change after a curriculum on the science and philosophy of well-being and happiness for high school students: A classroom-randomized trial.

Multiple interventions have been tested to promote well-being in high school students, often focusing on depression prevention. To test the impact of a one-semester active learning curriculum covering the modern science and philosophy of well-being and happiness on attitudinal measures related to the curriculum and standard measures of depression and well-being. Subjects were first-year students in an urban high school in Beijing, China (equivalent to US tenth grade). Nine classrooms were randomly assigned to the intervention curriculum (n = 252), and nine classrooms were randomly assigned to a traditional psychology curriculum (n = 263). Students completed questionnaires pre- and post-semester including a Positive Attitude Scale (PAS, concerning Relatedness, Competence, Autonomy, Gratitude, Calmness, Mindfulness, and Hope), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Life Satisfaction Scale (LS), Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and a test of knowledge about well-being (Knowledge Test, KT). In a hierarchical linear model, there were statistically significant intervention effects on six of the seven subscales of the PAS, on PANAS balance, and on the KT. CES-D, LS, SHS, and MLQ were improved but not significantly so. Notable overall secular trends in measures of well-being were observed, with a peak in September and nadir in April. A one-semester course for high school students regarding well-being and happiness demonstrated significant changes in positive attitudes, affective balance, and knowledge about happiness. Circannual trends in well-being measures over the academic year have implications for those designing school intervention studies.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Malay Version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) among Medical Students in Malaysia.

Communication is one of the fundamental skills in the medical profession. The Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) is a widely used questionnaire to measure the attitudes of medical students toward learning communication skills. It has been adapted and translated into many languages. The objective of this study was to adapt and translate the CSAS into the Malay language and determine its psychometric properties in medical students. This is a cross-sectional study involving 218 first-year Universiti Teknologi MARA students. Content validation, cross-cultural adaptation, translation, and face validation of the 26-item CSAS were performed according to established guidelines. Principal component analysis with direct oblimin rotation was used to determine the underlying structure of the CSAS-Malay. The reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α coefficient for internal consistency and using the intraclass correlation coefficient for the test–retest reliability. Although the contents of the CSAS-Malay and the original version were conceptually equivalent, item 11 was removed during the content validation stage due to a low item content validity index (I-CVI < 1.00). Two subscales were derived from the remaining 25 items, which were the Positive Attitude Scale and the Negative Attitude Scale. Items 1 and 15 were removed due to poor factor loadings. The total variance explained by the final two-factor solution with three items removed was 30.8%. Cronbach’s α coefficients for both the Positive and Negative Attitude Scales in the final questionnaire were 0.815 and 0.614, respectively. It also showed a good reproducibility with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values of 0.725–0.950 for all the items. This study provided preliminary information about the psychometric properties of the CSAS-Malay. The final 23-item questionnaire had a good construct validity, an acceptable internal consistency, and at least a moderate test–retest reproducibility. It can be used to assess the attitudes of medical students toward learning communication skills. Future research to improve the generalizability of the questionnaire should include medical students from other universities with diverse backgrounds.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TO AND SELF-ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS TRAINING AT HUE UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY, HUE UNIVERSITY

Background: Communication Skills (CS) in Medicine has been considered one of the most fundamental competencies to be required of medical professionals. However, there is not guarantee that students fully grasp the usefulness of CS for clinical practice. The objectives of our study were therefore to (1) describe Year 2 to Year 5 medical students’ attitudes towards CS training and its associations, and to (2) investigate Year 2 to Year 5 medical students’ self-assessment of CS training and effective medical CS training. Methods: This is a non-randomized control trial study, using the Communication Skills Attitudes Scale (CSAS) designed by Rees from Nottingham University and Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (G-KCSF) designed by Rider from Harvard University. Results: In general, students showed positive attitudes towards CS training (positive attitude scale (PAS): 3.55 (0.5); negative attitude scale (NAS): 2.77 (0.43). Females showed higher scores on the PAS than males (p&lt;0.001) and lower scores on the NAS (p&lt;0.001). The second- or third-year medical students showed higher scores on the PAS (p&lt;0.001) than their fourth- and fifth-year counterparts. The scores of all essential elements of CS were highest among the second-year students, decreasing among the third- and fourth-year students before increasing again among the fifth-year students. The students who had medical CS training scored higher on the PAS, lower on the NAS, and on all essential elements of CS. Conclusions: Medical students at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy expressed positive attitudes towards CS training. Training medical students in CS was able to improve their attitudes and CS.

Patient safety culture improves during an in situ simulation intervention: a repeated cross-sectional intervention study at two hospital sites

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate staff’s perceptions of patient safety culture (PSC) in two Danish hospitals before and after an in situ simulation intervention.DesignA repeated cross-sectional intervention study.SettingTwo Danish hospitals....

Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Communication Skills Learning in Chitwan Medical College, Nepal

Introduction: Medical students’ attitude towards communication skills is crucial for curriculum planners, teachers and health professionals. Chitwan Medical College (CMC) is a private medical school admitting students mainly from the Nepal.&#x0D; Objective: To assess the attitudes of medical students towards learning communication skills.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among third and fifth year medical (MBBS) undergraduates at Chitwan Medical College (CMC), Nepal in April 2018 using the 26-itemCommunication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) developed by Rees, Sheard, and Davies. Participants ‘age, sex, year of study, nationality, religion, relationship status, the occupation of father and mother, place of residence of a family, were noted. The CSAS scores were computed. Student’s t-test and ANOVA test were used to compare the scores among subgroups of participants.&#x0D; Results: The mean positive attitudes scale (PAS), negative attitudes scale (NAS) and overall CSAS scores were 51.77  5.21, 35.68  4.43, and 83.97  5.77 respectively. PAS score was statistically significantly higher among the respondents whose mothers were not in the health-related profession. Whereas NAS score was statistically significantly lower among females, self-rated outstanding students, and good self-reported written communication skills.&#x0D; Conclusion: Medical undergraduates had strong positive attitudes towards learning communication skills, but negative attitudes were also noted. Hence, faculty members need to change these attitudes through improving teaching and assessment strategies.

Psychometric properties of Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale

Background/ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC) in a large sample of patients with non-metastatic, resected cancer. MethodsProspective, observational, multicenter study for which 914 patients were recruited from 15 Spanish hospitals. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, validity and reliability analyses were conducted. ResultsFactor-analytic results indicated a 4-factor structure of the Spanish version of the Mini-MAC. Three subscales have psychometric properties similar to those of Helplessness, Anxious preoccupation, and Cognitive avoidance of the original the Mini-MAC. The Fighting spirit and the Fatalism subscales were combined on the Positive attitude scale. The four factor-derived scale scores exhibited acceptable accuracy for individual measurement purposes, as well as stability over time in test-retest assessments at 6 months. Validity assessments found meaningful relations between the derived scale scores, and Brief Symptom Inventory depression and anxiety scores and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy spiritual well-being scores. ConclusionsThe Spanish version of the Mini-MAC provides reliable and valid measures for patients with non-metastatic, resected cancer, and results corroborate the instrument’s cross-cultural validity.

Communication skills teaching for student dietitians using experiential learning and simulated patients.

Dietitians require communication competencies for effective dietetic practice. There is little evidence on how student dietitians experience and value communication skills teaching. The present study aimed to measure attitudes of student dietitians with respect to communication skills teaching and how experiential learning using simulated patients impacts confidence in their communication skills. Communication skills teaching adopting an experiential skills-based approach including practice with simulated patients, feedback and reflection were developed. A 67-item questionnaire with three sections: (i) views regarding the importance of communication skills to dietetic practice; (ii) attitudes to learning communication skills using a modified Communication Skills Attitude Scale; and (iii) confidence in their own communication skills, was completed by students before and after the course, with responses recorded on a five-point Likert scale and analysed pairwise using McNemar's test. Over three academic years, 112 students (91.8% response rate) completed the evaluation. After training, students rated communication skills as important for patient satisfaction (100%) and relationships with patients (99.1%). Student dietitians had positive attitudes to learning communication skills with positive attitudes scale score before teaching of mean (SD) 53.6 (5.3) and after of 54.0 (5.8) (P=0.162). Following experiential teaching, the proportion of students feeling 'very or extremely confident' in understanding a patient's perspective increased from 27.7% to 41.1% (P=0.008) and for reaching agreement with a patient from 4.5% to 17.9% (P=0.001). Student dietitians consider communication skills important for dietetic practice. They receive teaching positively and an experiential skills-based approach can improve self-rated confidence.

Educational Leadership Processes as Predictors of Positive Work Attitude at Higher Education Level

This study aimed at exploring the impact of educational leadership processes such as goal setting, strategic resourcing, curriculum quality, quality of teaching, promoting teaching-learning, and a safe environment on positive work attitudes at the higher education level. Positive work attitudes were delimited to job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. A descriptive survey research design was used to collect quantitative data through two questionnaires; educational leadership practices questionnaire and positive work attitude scale. Results indicated that a positive correlation exists between two research variables. Simple linear regression analysis reflected that the highest Beta coefficients exist between goal setting and positive work attitude. It was concluded that in a sphere of mutual honor, trust, and allegiance between superiors and subordinates the work attitudes strongly correlate positively. It is recommended open door policy, consultative practices among educational leadership, and training for employee empowerment may be adopted to increase organizational productivity.

Social and Behavioral Predictors of Adolescents' Positive Attitude towards Life and Self.

Positive attitude is an important cognitive component of optimism. Although optimism has been widely studied in adolescents’ health, there is limited knowledge about social and behavioral determinants of their positive attitude. The aim of this study was to identify the main predictors of a positive attitude towards life and self in adolescence. Data were collected in 2010 from 2562 Polish adolescents, aged 15 to 17 years old, within the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey. A positive attitude was measured using the 4-item Positive Attitude Scale (PAS). Univariate analysis of variance was conducted and then hierarchical linear regression models adjusted for gender, age and family affluence were estimated. The mean PAS score was 13.25 (SD = 3.74), on the scale ranged 0–20. Eight out of 18 variables were included in the final model, which explained 25.1% of PAS variability. Communication in the family and with peers, as well as neighborhood social capital showed the strongest impact on positive attitude in adolescents. Physical activity, eating breakfast and school performance were also found to be important predictors. The results of the study highlight the need to include the development of interpersonal competences, promoting physical activity and supporting school performance, in adolescents’ mental health promotion programs, particularly in girls.

Pre-tertiary education, ethnicity, and attitudes of Asian medical undergraduates towards communication skills.

ObjectivesThis study was aimed at determining whether the pre-tertiary education system and ethnicity have any association with the attitudes of medical undergraduates towards communication skills. It also sought to determine if attitudes should have any relationship with communication skills assessment outcomes. MethodsA cross-section survey design was performed with 323 participants from two cohorts of medical undergraduates, i.e., first-year (n = 153) and second-year students (n = 170) who completed the Communication Skills Attitude Scale. Participants comprised of the main ethnic groups in Malaysia, i.e., Malays, Chinese and Indians, from different language medium pre-tertiary education backgrounds. Attitude measurements were compared with OSCE outcomes. ResultsThere was a significant difference in Negative Attitude Scale between pre-tertiary education system with attitudes towards communication skills (F (3, 319) = 7.79, p = .001), but no significant difference with Positive Attitude Scale (F (3, 319) = 0.43, p = .649). There was no significant difference between ethnicity and attitudes towards communication skills with PAS (F (2, 320) = 0.66, p = .519) and NAS (F (2, 320) = 1.24, p = .291). Students from Chinese medium education system had stronger negative attitudes with a mean score of 14.7 (n = 56, SD = 3.6) for primary school levels and 15.9 (n = 17, SD = 3.0) for secondary school levels, compared with others. There was no significant prediction of student’s attitudes towards assessments outcomes. ConclusionsPreliminary findings from the small data pool suggest indicative relationships requiring further studies with more participants and proportionate pre-tertiary education system backgrounds.

Facilitators and barriers for healthcare providers to recommend HPV vaccination to attendees of public sexually transmitted diseases clinics in Hong Kong, China.

BackgroundAttendees of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics could also benefit from HPV vaccination. Healthcare providers’ recommendation is the most effective published method in motivating HPV vaccination initiation. This study was to investigate practice of recommending HPV vaccination to attendees among healthcare providers (doctors and nurses) working in public STD clinics in Hong Kong, China.MethodParticipants were medical doctors, registered nurses and enrolled nurses working in all eight public STD clinics in Hong Kong. All of them (29 doctors and 82 nurses) were approached by telephone. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to them. A total of 98 completed questionnaires were received (28 doctors and 70 nurses). The study was conducted during January to May, 2018. Using recommendation of HPV vaccination to any attendees in the last year as the dependent variable, univariate and multiple logistic regression models were fitted.ResultsIn the last 12 months, 16.3% and 36.7% of the participants had recommended HPV vaccination to any male attendees and to any female attendees of their clinics; 41.8% had recommended it to either male or female attendees. Adjusting for significant background variables (professions and years of working experience in the clinic), three constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior were significantly associated with the dependent variable in expected directions. They were: 1) the Positive Attitude Scale (adjusted odds ratios, AOR: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.41), 2) the Negative Attitude Scale (AOR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.77, 0.94), and 3) the Perceived Behavioral Control Scale (AOR: 1.37, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.75).ConclusionSTD clinics are ideal settings that allow healthcare providers to access individuals who are at high-risk of HPV infection and promote HPV vaccination. Health promotion targeting these healthcare providers is warranted to enhance their perceived importance of recommending HPV vaccination. Such promotion should modify their attitudes and perceived behavioral control related to recommending HPV vaccination to attendees.

Self-assessment of residents in respect of attitudes to communication.

As communication skills are essential for medical practice, many medical schools have added communication skills training to their curricula in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the attitudes to communication skills of family medicine, internal medicine and general surgery residents. Family medicine, internal medicine and general surgery residents of three training and research hospitals and one university hospital in Ankara were included in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used for obtaining information about age, gender, marital status, graduation date and whether receiving any training for communication skills. The Turkish version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale was used. In all, 58 (50%) family medicine, 30 (25.9%) internal medicine, and 28 (24.1%) general surgery residents were accepted to participate in the study. Of the 116 residents, 58 (50%) were female and 58 (50%) were male, with a mean age of 29.47±4.63 years, and 68 (58.6%) of them were married; 59.5% of the participants received training about communication skills and 56.5% of them received it at medical school. The mean positive attitude scale (PAS) score was 3.85±0.58, and the mean negative attitude scale (NAS) score was 2.42±0.52. The PAS scores of female residents were higher than those of males (P=0.01). The PAS scores of residents who received communication skills training were higher than the scores of those who had not (P=0.01). The PAS scores of family medicine residents were higher and the NAS scores were lower than those of internal medicine and general surgery residents. The communication skill attitudes of family medicine residents were better than those of internal medicine and general surgery residents.