Health Science Programs Research Articles

Integrating planetary health education into tertiary curricula: a practical toolbox for implementation.

To present a series of case studies from our respective countries and disciplines on approaches to implementing the Planetary Health Education Framework in university health professional education programs, and to propose a curriculum implementation and evaluation toolbox for educators to facilitate the adoption of similar initiatives in their programs. We emphasize the importance of applying an Indigenous lens to curriculum needs assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation. Case studies from Australia and United States were collated using a six-stage design-based educational research framework (Focus, Formulation, Contextualization, Definition, Implementation, Evaluation) for teaching planetary health and methods of curriculum evaluation. These components were then mapped to derive the curriculum implementation toolbox reflecting the six-stage design-based educational research framework. The case studies demonstrated different approaches to successful integration of the Planetary Health Education Framework in medicine, nursing, public health, and allied health disciplines. This integration often involved Indigenous perspectives on environmental stewardship, holistic health, and community well-being into the curriculum. The case studies also highlighted the importance of community engagement, cultural competency, and interdisciplinary collaboration in curriculum development. Findings from case studies were used to propose a curriculum implementation toolbox to assist educators in adapting and integrating planetary health education into their own programs. While valuable frameworks for teaching planetary health in health science programs exist, challenges remain in implementing these frameworks in real-world educational environments. The proposed curriculum implementation toolbox offers practical strategies and resources for educators to incorporate these principles into their teaching. Additionally, the case studies reported here contribute to the growing body of literature on planetary health education pertinent to addressing the triple planetary crisis.

Impacto de las metodologías activas en las estrategias de aprendizaje de estudiantes del área de la salud de primer año en la Universidad Finis Terrae

Students are expected to enter higher education with a set of learning strategies that will allow them to achieve academic success on their own. In practice, however, a memorization-based learning approach prevails, causing students to struggle with problem-solving, organizing ideas, and planning their studies.Furthermore, instructors continue to rely heavily on lecture-based instruction and passive activities, stifling the development of effective learning strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of learning strategies among health sciences students in relation to the active methodological load imposed by instructors over the course of an academic year. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 184 first-year students from three health science programs. Teacher methodological intervention occurred during the second semester in two of the three programs, and the time of active interaction was measured for all first-year classes during both semesters. The instructors administered the abbreviated ACRA test before and after a methodological intervention, and the data were compared to a control program. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, such as t-Student tests and mixed regression. The findings showed that learning strategies in experimental programs changed significantly as the use of participatory teaching methodologies and activities increased. It is concluded that the use of active and participatory methodologies is associated with an increase in the variety and frequency of learning strategies used.

Preparedness Among Senior JKUAT Nursing Students in Managing COVID-19 Patients

The negative effects and the impact of pandemic diseases continues to grow enormously. The study aimed to find out the preparedness among senior JKUAT nursing students in managing COVID-19 patients. The purpose of the study was to determine knowledge, attitude and risk perception among senior nursing students at JKUAT in the management of COVID-19 patients. The study used a cross-sectional study design and sampling technique was used to collect data among number of students using online questionnaires. Data analysis was done using the statistical package for the social sciences version 20 and presented using frequency tables, pie charts, numerical and narratives as appropriate. Out of the total participants, 74.6% of the students were willing to volunteer in a pandemic management center and 98.6% had the knowledge on how infectious diseases are transmitted, frequent ways of transmission and prevention/minimizing the spread of infection. Nursing students are valuable resources in the health sectors and are highly willing to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic and are prepared to manage the affected patients. The study recommends that emergency preparedness should be integrated into the nursing curricula and other health science programs and also recommends the ministry of health to provide incentives to the volunteers as well as insurance cover in case one is infected in the line of duty.

Identifying factors influencing program selection in health sciences by underrepresented minority students—a scoping review

There is a critical need to diversify health professionals to better serve the growing minority population in North America. Unfortunately, minority groups remain underrepresented in health professions. Despite recruitment efforts by government and academic institutions, fewer underrepresented minority (URM) students choose careers in healthcare. Identifying the key factors influencing URM students’ decisions to pursue health sciences programs could enhance diversity in these programs through targeted admissions strategies, ultimately leading to a more diverse future healthcare workforce. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Five electronic databases and gray literature were searched to identify North American papers published between 1942 and 2022. Identified studies focused on URM students’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to matriculate into a health science degree. Twenty-one articles were analyzed. Following content analysis, the facilitators and barriers identified comprised personal, socio-cultural, institutional, and financial. The most frequent facilitators reported were scholarships, family support, and the presence of role models. Common barriers included high tuition fees, pre-admission criteria, lack of awareness about the health profession, availability of financial aid, and the admission process. The findings of this review will facilitate the development and implementation of customized, comprehensive strategies to recruit more URM students to health science programs in the future, thereby improving efforts toward creating a diverse healthcare workforce.

Knowledge towards the health impacts of climate change and associated factors among undergraduate health sciences students in Amhara region: a multi-centered study

BackgroundIncreased knowledge about the health impacts of climate change would motivate health students and health professionals to adopt sustainable healthcare practices, design climate-centered health programs, help build climate-resilient health systems, and ultimately contribute to the global effort of mitigating climate change.MethodAn Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Universities in the Amhara region. A total of 616 undergraduate health science students were included from three Universities. A validated, self-administered structured questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using STATA™ version 14.0. A Logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with the health impacts of climate change. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultOnly 48.5% (95% CI: 44.6, 52.4) of students had good knowledge regarding the health impacts of climate change. Sex of the student—male (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.032, 2.023), University (AOR = 0.534, 95% CI: 0.360, 0.792), and Department—comprehensive Nursing, (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.117, 0.592), Midwifery (AOR = 0.201, 95% CI: 0.085, 0.476), and Medical Laboratory (AOR = 0.151, 95% CI: 0.055, 0.413) were significantly associated factors.ConclusionThe knowledge of the health impacts of climate change among health science students was low. Sex, University, and Department were the associated factors. Hence, undergraduate health science programs should incorporate at least the fundamental details of climate change. Universities should also develop and use a harmonized curriculum.

Using publicly available, interactive epidemiological dashboards: an innovative approach to sharing data from the Rakai Community Cohort Study.

Public sharing of de-identified biomedical data promotes collaboration between researchers and accelerates the development of disease prevention and treatment strategies. However, open-access data sharing presents challenges to researchers who need to protect the privacy of study participants, ensure that data are used appropriately, and acknowledge the inputs of all involved researchers. This article presents an approach to data sharing which addresses the above challenges by using a publicly available dashboard with de-identified, aggregated participant data from a large HIV surveillance cohort. Data in this study originated from the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), which was integrated into a centralized data mart as part of a larger data management strategy for the Rakai Health Sciences Program in Uganda. These data were used to build a publicly available, protected health information (PHI)-secured visualization dashboard for general research use. Using two unique case studies, we demonstrate the capability of the dashboard to generate the following hypotheses: firstly, that HIV prevention strategies ART and circumcision have differing levels of impact depending on the marital status of investigated communities; secondly, that ART is very successful in comparison to circumcision as an interventional strategy in certain communities. The democratization of large-scale anonymized epidemiological data using public-facing dashboards has multiple benefits, including facilitated exploration of research data and increased reproducibility of research findings. By allowing the public to explore data in depth and form new hypotheses, public-facing dashboard platforms have significant potential to generate new relationships and collaborations and further scientific discovery and reproducibility.

Palliative care education in undergraduate medical and nursing programs in Colombia: a cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundThe number of people suffering from chronic diseases requiring palliative care (PC) is increasing rapidly. Therefore, PC teaching in undergraduate health science programs is necessary to improve primary PC based on international recommendations and available scientific evidence.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Active undergraduate medical and nursing programs that were approved by the Colombian Ministry of Education and integrated PC teaching into their curricula were included in the study. The total sample consisted of 48 programs: 31 nursing and 17 medical programs.ResultsPC competencies are distributed throughout the curriculum in 41.67% of programs, in elective courses in 31.25%, and in mandatory courses in 27.08% of the programs. The average PC teaching hours is 81 for nursing and 57.6 for medicine. PC clinical rotations are not offered in 75% of the programs. For undergraduate nursing programs, the most frequent competencies taught are the definition and history of PC and identifying common symptoms associated with advanced disease. In undergraduate medicine, the most common competencies are pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management and identification of PC needs.ConclusionsPC teaching in undergraduate health science programs mainly addresses the conceptual and theoretical aspects of PC, which are part of the competencies present throughout the programs’ curricula. Low availability of PC clinical rotations was identified. Future studies should assess whether the low availability of clinical rotations in PC limits the ability of students to develop the practical competencies necessary to provide quality PC.Trial registrationNot applicable.

The Durban University of Technology Faculty of Health Sciences Decentralized Clinical Training Project: Protocol for an Implementation Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is embarking on a project to implement a Decentralized Clinical Training Program (DCTP). The DUT FHS DCTP project is being conducted in response to the growing demands of students requiring clinical service placements as part of work-integrated learning. The project is also geared toward responding to existing gaps in current practices related to the implementation of a DCTP, which has mainly been through traditional universities providing training to medical, optometry, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy students. In South Africa, a DCTP is yet to be implemented within the context of a university of technology; it is yet to be implemented within health science faculties that offer undergraduate health science programs in mainstream biomedicine and alternative and complementary disciplines. We aim to design, pilot, and establish an effective DCTP at the DUT FHS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Participatory action research comprising various designs-namely, appreciative inquiry, qualitative case study design, phenomenography, and descriptive qualitative study design-will be used to conduct the study. Data will be collected using individual interviews, focus group discussions, nominal group technique, consensus methodology, and narrative inquiry. Study participants will include various internal and external stakeholders of the DUT, namely, academic staff; students; key informants from universities currently using successfully established DCTPs; academic support staff; staff working in human resources, finance, procurement, and accounting; and experts in other disciplines such as engineering and information systems. Overall, 4 undergraduate health science programs-namely, Radiography, Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics, Clinical Technology, and Emergency Medical Care and Rescue-will be part of the project's pilot phase. Findings from the project's pilot phase will be used to inform scale-up in the other undergraduate programs in the DUT FHS. The project is being implemented as part of the university's strategic objective of devising innovative curricula and pedagogical practices to improve the mastery, skill set, and competence of health science graduates. The study has currently commenced with the situational analysis, consisting of engagement with external stakeholders implementing DCTPs. The data to be generated from the completion of the situational analysis are anticipated to be published in 2024. This project is envisioned to facilitate collaboration among the universities of technology, traditional universities, Ministry of Health, and private sector for clinical placement of undergraduate health science students in health establishments that are away from the university, thereby exposing them to real-life experiences related to health care. This will facilitate authentic learning experiences that will contribute to improved competencies of graduates in relation to the health needs of society and the multiple realities of the South African health system. PRR1-10.2196/52243.

The application of UDL and SoTL to health care education

AbstractIn this chapter, we use the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) to explore the application of universal design for learning (UDL) (CAST 2018) to health care education. We begin by setting a historical context of health care education. Next, we provide an overview of UDL, a review of the literature of UDL in health care education, and then discuss one institution's exploration of applying UDL in health science and other program teaching practices, arguing that UDL's main concepts can be effectively applied to health care education to create inclusive and effective learning experiences.

Academic survival: student retention in sport and exercise sciences

ABSTRACT Retention of higher education students is of major concern within the United Kingdom due to the financial and reputational impact on institutions, financial and personal impact on students and loss of potential skills and knowledge within society. Student background characteristics are acknowledged as the initial factors influencing retention within various models, however subject specific understanding is limited. This study aimed to identify pre-enrolment factors associated with student retention in Sport, Health and Exercise Science programmes. Student retention at department and programme level were calculated by ‘time to event’ analysis using Kaplan–Meier survival trend curves and log rank (Mantel–Cox) analysis for; gender, age, locality to the university, highest qualification on entry and participation of local areas in higher education (POLAR4) classifications. Results identified that male students, students from low Higher Education participation neighbourhoods and students who enter Higher Education without A-Level or foundation qualifications were at an increased risk of degree non-completion. Importantly, these characteristics were also disproportionally high in the student populations considered here. It is imperative that initiatives to improve retention, particularly in these populations, are sought and implemented at department level to improve student and institutional outcomes.

The Development and Implementation of a Competency-Focused Curriculum in Health and Exercise Sciences

Historically, undergraduate programs in Health and Exercise Sciences (i.e. Kinesiology) are rooted in common areas such as physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, motor control, psychology, nutrition, and rehabilitation. A typical four-year program offers a general education across these areas often delivering a breadth of knowledge in many areas, albeit often lacking in transferable technical skill that relates to industry. With many graduates now pursuing advanced training in professional programs there is a need to develop more competency-focused curricula to better prepare students for entry into professional fields. Further, overburdened healthcare systems worldwide combined with an ageing population find themselves with a gap in service delivery, given the growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of high-quality exercise training in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic conditions. In 2018, following feedback from provincial ministries, the University Senate, faculty, students, and community partners, the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan underwent a strategic review. This review led to the development of a professionally focused, competency-based program, now known as the Bachelor of Health and Exercise Sciences. Within this program are three concentrations geared towards developing knowledge and skills in differing areas dependent on student interest and desired career path: Kinesiology and Allied Health, Health Behaviour Change, and Clinical Exercise Physiology. The development of the revised curriculum involved crucial components such as defining new program and concentration level learning outcomes, competency profiles, definitions, progressions, and practical assessment strategies. Additionally, each concentration integrates a community practicum designed to enhance mastery of competencies within a professional setting. Establishing these practicums necessitates ongoing collaborative efforts with both existing and new community partners, the formulation of standards, and the implementation of a process to ensure students possess a baseline skill level before engaging with the community. A substantial challenge in the revised curriculum is the instruction of technical skills in a lab environment, as well as effective practical skill assessment that meets industry standards, for upwards of 200 students. To this end a great deal of planning was required from a resources standpoint, onboarding of new faculty with industry experience, as well as alignment with pre-existing certifying bodies including the American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise & Sport Science Australia, and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Looking to the future we anticipate both challenges and opportunities as we continue to redefine professional competencies and remap them throughout the curriculum to enhance skill progression and ensure our graduates are fit for purpose. Further, we are excited to continue to work alongside provincial entities and existing certifying bodies as we look toward the professionalization of the field. Lastly, but up utmost importance, is the dissemination of our process to other organizations and institutions in hopes to build momentum in the quickly evolving academic and professional landscape of Health and Exercise Sciences. None. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Toward an Identity for the Field of Doctoral Education in Health Sciences

The Association of Doctoral Programs in Health Sciences (ADPHS) was informally established in November 2019, officially incorporated in August 2021, and is currently a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization comprised of the directors of member doctoral programs of health sciences. The ADPHS grew from informal discussions among program directors who agreed that a major problem in the field of doctoral education in health sciences was the lack of a clearly defined and easily articulable identity. The discussions led to the drafting of an informal and nonscientific survey used to help clarify the current health sciences education environment, relevant emerging trends, and the educational philosophies adopted by the directors of health sciences doctoral programs nationally. The results of the survey and follow-up discussions revealed a strong consensus among program directors that the field of doctorate education in health sciences is uniformly characterized by its interdisciplinary nature. In this position paper, we provide the rationale for the formal position of the ADPHS that the identity of the field of doctoral education in health sciences is based on its interdisciplinary approach to education.

Psychosocial Factors and Retention of Female Students in a Health Sciences Program: A Cultural Perspective

The problem was at a for-profit private institution in the year 2015-2016, 25% or 35 of the 142 students who withdrew from the university were from the School of Health Sciences. The purpose was to investigate the psychosocial factors that influenced retention in female students enrolled in online degree programs. The generic research design was the descriptive-survey design. Participants were 35 female undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online degree programs. The data collection instrument was the Survey of Female Adult Learners’ Psychosocial Factors Related to Retention-Adapted. Data analysis for the two research questions included the computation of descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings for Research Question 1 suggested specific psychosocial factors were critical to retention in online degree programs. For instance, 71.43% of students reported the psycho-social factor, I am a capable person, and 62.86% reported the psycho-social factor; with my ability, I will be able to succeed; were critical to retention. Findings for Research Question 2 indicated that, even though there were differences in the mean scores for the marital status subgroups (not married-single, divorced, and never married). ANOVA showed the differences were not statistically significant, F (1, 33) =.21, p=.65, partial eta squared =.006, for the marital status subgroups.

Examining the pedagogical practices that support cultural proficiency development in graduate health science students

BackgroundHealth disparities are often a function of systemic discrimination and healthcare providers’ biases. In recognition of this, health science programs have begun to offer training to foster cultural proficiency (CP) in future professionals. However, there is not yet consensus about the best ways to integrate CP into didactic and clinical education, and little is known about the role of clinical rotations in fostering CP.MethodsHere, a mixed-methods approach was used to survey students (n = 131) from a private all-graduate level osteopathic health sciences university to gain insight into the training approaches students encountered related to CP and how these may vary as a function of academic progression. The research survey included instruments designed to quantify students’ implicit associations, beliefs, and experiences related to the CP training they encountered through the use of validated instruments, including Implicit Association Tests and the Ethnocultural Empathy Inventory, and custom-designed questions.ResultsThe data revealed that most students (73%) had received CP training during graduate school which primarily occurred via discussions, lectures, and readings; however, the duration and students’ perception of the training varied substantially (e.g., training range = 1–100 hours). In addition, while students largely indicated that they valued CP and sought to provide empathetic care to their patients, they also expressed personal understandings of CP that often fell short of advocacy and addressing personal and societal biases. The results further suggested that clinical rotations may help students attenuate implicit biases but did not appear to be synergistic with pre-clinical courses in fostering other CP knowledge, skills, and attitudes.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the need to utilize evidence-based pedagogical practices to design intentional, integrated, and holistic CP training throughout health science programs that employ an intersectional lens and empowers learners to serve as advocates for their patients and address systemic challenges.

Teaching Anatomy in Rehabilitation Sciences: Perceptions of Undergraduate Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Sports Sciences Students of Ziauddin University, Pakistan

Background: Anatomy education serves as a cornerstone in the curriculum of rehabilitation sciences, encompassing physical therapy, occupational therapy, and sports sciences. The complexity of teaching and understanding human anatomy necessitates diverse pedagogical approaches to effectively prepare students for clinical practice. Recent trends emphasize the integration of clinical relevance and practical experience into anatomy education, reflecting the evolving needs of healthcare education. Objective: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of undergraduate students from various rehabilitation science programs at Ziauddin University, Pakistan, regarding their anatomy education. It sought to identify the challenges faced by students, evaluate the effectiveness of current teaching methodologies, and assess the integration of theoretical knowledge with clinical practice. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over six months, from January to June 2023, involving 120 students from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DOT), and Bachelor of Physical Education Health and Sports Sciences (BPEHSS) programs. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms, assessing demographics, satisfaction with anatomy lectures, exposure to practical sessions, and perceptions of the relevance of anatomy to clinical practice. The analysis utilized SPSS version 25, presenting results in frequencies and percentages. Results: Among the participants, 52.8% were aged 17-20, and 79.2% were female. The majority (83.2%) were in their preclinical years. A total of 66.4% expressed satisfaction with the duration of anatomy lectures, while practical sessions were attended by 52.8%. Challenges identified included the vast curriculum covered in a short time (79%), and a strong preference (83.2%) for physiotherapists trained as anatomists to teach anatomy. The relevance of anatomy to clinical performance was highly rated, with 63.9% recognizing its high relevance. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for anatomy education in rehabilitation sciences to adapt to the demands of clinical relevance and practical application. Incorporating trained physiotherapists as instructors and increasing the focus on practical sessions could enhance students' learning experiences and preparation for clinical practice.

Exploring undergraduate clinical students’ perspectives on interprofessional education

Interprofessional Education (IPE) has been advocated to prepare future healthcare professionals for collaborative practice to improve the quality of patient care and overall health outcomes. The problem statement revolves around the need to bridge the gap between the traditional, silos education of healthcare disciplines and the demands of a modern healthcare ecosystem. Insufficient IPE can result in fragmented patient care, communication breakdowns and suboptimal outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the perceptions of undergraduate clinical students from Malaysian higher institutions about Interprofessional Education (IPE). This study was conducted among undergraduate final-year students of clinical programs, including nursing, Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy and Health Sciences programs in selected private and public Malaysian higher institutions. The quantitative data was analysed via descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Overall, the study received 288 responses from four public institutions and 3 private institutions. About 94.4% (272) of respondents claimed perceived needs for IPE. Most students agreed that patient care and critical patient care in general wards and community chronic patient care should be included in the content of IPE. More than 80% of the respondents agreed collaboration and teamwork, mutual understanding for other disciplines/professionals, conflict control and effective communication are the essential skills to be learned by IPE. The three most wanted IPE learning methods are lecture and discussion, clinical rotation, and role-playing. This study revealed differences in needs and perceptions regarding IPE between programs. This finding warrants further research to design appropriate IPE program goals and strategies that suit specific students' needs.

Teaching Structural Competency in Law School: Interdisciplinary Inspiration from Medical Legal Partnerships and Health-Related Disciplines to Meet ABA Standard 303(c).

Law Schools are now required to provide education to law students on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism under ABA Standard 303(c). Law clinics, with their social justice orientation, have long taught about structural causes of bias and oppression and ways to intervene at system levels to prevent problems. Medical legal partnership (MLP) clinics have done so by employing concepts from social work and health science programs on structural competency. This article examines MLP and related curriculum to meet the ABA mandate.

De onde somos e onde estamos? Formação acadêmica dos docentes de terapia ocupacional de universidades públicas do nordeste do Brasil

Abstract Introduction The historical process of Occupational Therapy courses in Brazil and the academic profile of their teachers are factors that influence the training of professionals and the scientific development of the profession. Objective To characterize the academic titles of professors who work in Occupational Therapy courses at public Universities in the Northeast region of Brazil and reflect about institutional and professional trajectories. Method Descriptive, quantitative study, using public data from the Lattes Platform and official Universities websites. Descriptive statistics and spatial analysis were used to analyze the data using graphic resource and image production software, such as Excel®, PowerPoint® and QGIS2.18.3®. Results 86 resumes of professors of Occupational Therapy courses at public institutions in the Northeast were analyzed. Only 20% entered with a doctorate or concluded it in the year of admission. The courses in Paraiba and Sergipe received the largest number of professors from other states, especially from the Southeast of the country. There was a greater number of professors who obtained a master's degree in Alagoas, Pernambuco, and São Paulo. Most doctoral degrees took place in Pernambuco and São Paulo. More than 90% of the professors held postgraduate courses in Health Sciences (68%) and Humanities (25%), in Public Health, Education and Health Sciences programs. Conclusion The institutions have a diverse team of teachers. The academic education was related to physical dislocation in the country. We pointed to the importance of the policies that encourage science in the Northeast because it can strengthen the profession and alleviate regional inequalities.

Investigations on Comparative Effectiveness of Online Teaching for Delivery of Typical Health Sciences Program Curriculum, In Relation to Intended Learning Outcomes and Student Satisfaction

Investigations on Comparative Effectiveness of Online Teaching for Delivery of Typical Health Sciences Program Curriculum, In Relation to Intended Learning Outcomes and Student Satisfaction

Assessing the quality of multiple-choice questions in allied health science summative exams: A retrospective analysis

Introduction: Multiple-choice questions are feasible, reproducible and cost-effective; hence, they are widely embraced in health professions education. The quality of multiple-choice questions is monitored statistically by item analysis. Item analysis confirms whether the questions measure the intended learning outcomes, ensuring fair and equitable assessments. To promote quality assessment, we analyzed the quality standards of multiple-choice questions in a summative examination using item analysis. Methods: The multiple choice questions answered by 38 students in the first semester of the allied health science programme of Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences in Bagmati Province were collected, examined, and analyzed. The data gathered were subjected to the performance of each multiple choice question by analysis of difficulty index, discrimination index, and distractor effectiveness. Results: Items of most courses were acceptable (30% to 70%) as per the difficulty index with only three courses having (>70%) easy items. Poor discriminatory index <0.20=poor) was noted in seven courses, particularly discipline-specific courses. A significant proportion of excellent distractors were identified in two courses: 50% each in Medical Terminology & Musculoskeletal and Fundamentals of Pharmacy. Most of the courses had more than 50% of functional distractors. Conclusions: The multiple-choice questions in most of the courses had poor discrimination index. These outcomes highlight the need for careful formulation of multiple-choice questions for authentic assessment.