Significant Gain In Knowledge Research Articles

Assessing the Efficacy of a Novel Massive Open Online Soft Skills Course for South Asian Healthcare Professionals

In healthcare professions, soft skills contribute to critical thinking, decision-making, and patient-centered care. While important to the delivery of high-quality medical care, soft skills are often underemphasized during healthcare training in low-and-middle-income countries. Despite South Asia’s large population, the efficacy and viability of a digital soft skills curriculum for South Asian healthcare practitioners has not been studied to date. We hypothesized that a web-based, multilingual, soft skills course could aid the understanding and application of soft skills to improve healthcare practitioner knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and intent-to-change clinical practice.In September 2019 a needs assessment observing soft skills practices was conducted in several Indian states. We developed a communication-focused soft skills curriculum that comprised seven 10-minute video lectures, recorded in spoken English and Hindi. Participants consisted of any practicing healthcare professionals and trainees in select South Asian countries age 18 and over. Participant knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and intent-to-change clinical practice were evaluated using pre- and post-course tests and surveys. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA and SPSS.From July 26, 2021 to September 26, 2021, 5750 registered and attempted the course, 2628 unique participants completed the pre-test, and 1566 unique participants completed the post-test. Participants demonstrated small but statistically significant gains in confidence (\U0001d45d<0.001), attitudes toward course topics relevance (\U0001d45d<0.001), and intent-to-change clinical practice (\U0001d45d<0.001). There was no statistically significant gain in knowledge. A digital soft-skills massive open online course for healthcare practitioners in South Asia could serve as a viable approach to improve the quality of soft skills training in low-to-middle income countries.

Pilot Training Program on Hands-Only CPR and Choking First Aid for Frontline Police Responders in Rural Nepal.

Basic life support (BLS) is an emergency skill that includes performing appropriate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and is rising in Nepal. After an OHCA event, a bystander starting CPR quickly has been shown to increase the survival rate. While the Nepali police are generally the first responders to emergencies in rural parts, they are not trained in BLS. This program assesses a pilot training of hands-only CPR and choking first aid to the Nepal Police and Nepal Army participants in rural Nepal. A community-based nonprofit organization, HAPSA-Nepal, coordinated with local government to pilot this program. The program included pre- and post-tests, lectures, videos, and small group hands-on exercises; facilitators included faculty emergency physicians, residents, and medical officers. Structured pre- andp post-test questionnaires, confidence surveys, and skills checklists were conducted. Descriptive analysis examined the respondent's characteristics, and paired t-test was used to compare pretest and post-test scores. A total of 126 participants received the training in this pilot phase. Prior to this training, 98.4% of the participants had not received any CPR training, and 100% of the participants had not received training on first aid for choking. The average pretest score was 4.4 with 95% CI ± 1.75, and the average post-test score was 8.06 with 95% CI ± 1.73 (out of a total of 11). All participants passed the skills assessment. Locally adapted BLS training programs that included hands-only CPR and choking first aid showed a significant knowledge gain and skills competence among the frontline participants.

Low‐cost fundoscopy simulation for everyone? Evaluation of knowledge gain and student satisfaction with the Kyoto Kagaku model

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of a relatively low‐cost fundoscopy simulator, the Kyoto Kagaku Model, on the subjective learning experience and an objective knowledge gain of medical students at Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany.Methods: Medical students at the Saarland University Medical Center were enrolled in a clinical course about fundoscopic examination and pathologies. The course consisted of a theoretical part, an introduction to the practical basics of ophthalmoscopy with the Kyoto Kagaku fundoscopy simulator, and a clinical practice with dilated pupils on each other (the classical ophthalmoscopy course). They then completed two questionnaires. The first one was about the subjective learning experience and was filled out shortly after the course, the second one about the objective clinical knowledge gain in ophthalmoscopy and was filled out before the start of ophthalmoscopy training and 1 week thereafter.Results: The medical students showed a significant (p &lt; 0.001) gain in knowledge of the fundoscopic examination and pathologies after the course with the Kyoto Kaguka Fundoscopy Simulator. Specific anatomical structures in the fundus were identified significantly (p &lt; 0.001) more often during the simulator training compared to the classical ophthalmoscopy course. 47% of the medical students preferred a simulator‐based course, 23% a classical ophthalmoscopy course and 30% a combination of both.Conclusion: Simulator‐based training is a valuable tool for teaching medical students (and aspiring resident physicians) various skills, including those related to ophthalmology. Hands‐on courses using the Kyoto Kagaku fundoscopy simulator have been successful in increasing medical students' interest in medical simulation and ophthalmology. This model, known for its relatively low cost, is a good immersive tool for teaching the basics of direct and indirect fundoscopic examination and various retinal pathologies. Although there are still challenges to overcome, such as accessibility and cost, the future of simulator‐based training in ophthalmology looks promising.

TreEducation: A Visual Education Platform for Teaching Treemap Layout Algorithms.

Treemaps are a powerful tool for representing hierarchical data in a space-efficient manner and are used in various domains, including network security or software development. However, interpreting the topology encoded by nested rectangles can be challenging, particularly compared to tree-structured representations like node-link diagrams or icicle plots. To address this challenge, we introduce TreEducation, a visual education platform designed to improve the visualization literacy skills required for reading treemaps among non-expert users. TreEducation is an online application that combines visualizations, interactions, and gamification elements to facilitate understanding of eight different treemap layout algorithms and enhance students' learning process. We evaluated TreEducation in a classroom setting and a controlled environment. Our results indicate a significant knowledge gain of students training exclusively with TreEducation and the usefulness of competition as a social gamification element included in our competitive quiz.

DOES WORKFORCE ROLE IMPACT LEARNING IN NURSING HOME EDUCATION? EVIDENCE FROM THE CHATO NATIONAL TRIAL

Abstract Nursing home residents rely on a variety of staff to meet their physical and psychosocial needs. Our communication intervention for nursing home staff—entitled CHATO—is currently being tested in a pragmatic clinical trial nationwide. All staff, regardless of role, are encouraged to participate to create a culture of person-centered communication. We analyzed differences in learning outcomes, and completion and satisfaction, among five staff roles including 274 aides (CNA, CMA), 180 nurses (LPN, RN), 52 administrators, 42 professional staff (social work, speech-, physical-, occupational-therapy), and 134 other non-care staff (dietary, custodial, transport). We compared changes in knowledge of effective person-centered communication, measured by (1) scores on the Changing Talk Scale (CHATS) and (2) ratings of video-based communication appropriateness, communication effectiveness, recognizing person-centered, and elderspeak communication. At baseline, aides and non-care staff had significantly lower CHATS scores than professional staff (p&amp;lt;.05). All roles demonstrated similar and significant knowledge gain with mean score increases ranging from 17.8-24.6 (p’s &amp;lt;.001). Similar patterns of changes were observed for communication ratings. The overall completion rate for enrolled staff was 82.6%, of whom only 6.2% reported dissatisfaction. The completion and satisfaction outcomes did not vary by role. These findings suggest that CHATO can be a useful education program for enhancing person-centered communication across different staff roles. Although baseline knowledge was higher in certain roles, the knowledge gains, completion rates, and satisfaction ratings did not vary by staff role. It is important to remember that all staff, not just direct care staff, benefit from education in nursing homes.

A comparative study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on knowledge regarding prevention of pressure ulcers among BSc nursing 2 year and BSc nursing 3 year students in selected nursing colleges of Patiala, Punjab

“A comparative study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on knowledge regarding prevention of pressure ulcers among BSc nursing 2 year and BSc nursing 3rd year students in selected nursing colleges of Patiala, Punjab.Pressure ulcer is a preventable medical complication of immobility. It has psychological, economic and social impact on individual and family. Its cost of treatment is more than twice of cost of prevention.To assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on Knowledge regarding prevention of pressure ulcers among B.Sc. nursing 2nd year and B.Sc. Nursing 3rd year students in selected nursing colleges of Patiala, Punjab”The research approach adopted for the study was non-experimental, with descriptive comparative design. 60 B.Sc. nursing 2nd year and B.Sc. nursing 3rd year students in selected nursing colleges of Patiala, Punjab by simple random sampling. Self-structured knowledge was developed and administered to assess the knowledge of among B.Sc. nursing 2 year and B.Sc. nursing 3rd year students in selected nursing colleges of Patiala, Punjab”The mean knowledge revealed that in the BSc nursing 2nd year students, majority of students 28(93.3%) had Adequate knowledge and 2(6.7%) had Moderate knowledge but none of them had Inadequate knowledge. Whereas in the BSc nursing 3rd year students, majority of students 26(86.7%) had Inadequate knowledge and 4(13.3%) had Moderate knowledge but none of them had Inadequate knowledge.The students had significant gain in knowledge after the administration of structured teaching progam regarding prevention of pressure ulcers.

Beyond the dawn of virtualized learning environments: A comparative study of video and augmented reality information delivery on student engagement and knowledge retention

AbstractBackgroundEducation is, after gaming, the second largest sector embracing augmented reality (AR) at an accelerated pace, yet studies on AR's potential as an efficient learning environment had mixed results.ObjectivesThis study's primary objective is to test students' interaction with graphical 3D elements in AR and its impact on information retention. The second objective is to compare information retention from AR engagement with information retention from exposure to identical 3D content delivered via instructional video. Finally, the third objective explores students' perceptions of AR as a learning environment.MethodsSixty‐five college students participated in a two‐arm experiment followed by semi‐structured interviews.Results and ConclusionAR can efficiently deliver a meaningful learning experience and promotes information retention. Nevertheless, AR's interactive features and novelty may distract learners while they engage with the virtual environment. Objective data obtained through eye tracking and video monitoring showed similar levels of engagement with a 3D model for both environments. While both AR and video groups showed significant knowledge gain from pre to post‐intervention, the video format was overall significantly more effective than AR in increasing topic‐related information retention. However, participants preferred the AR learning environment significantly more than the video.TakeawaysAlthough effective, AR is still a distracting instructional environment. Designing learning experiences tailored explicitly for AR environments requires additional research to ensure its successful deployment as a learning tool.

Effectiveness of Brief In-person and Virtual Substance Use Disorder Counselor Trainings, 2019-2021.

Paraprofessional substance use disorder counselors (SUDCs) are an important component of expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, but little research on SUDC training currently exists. We evaluated knowledge and self-efficacy gain from brief in-person and virtual workshops for paraprofessional SUDC student-trainees. Student-trainees (N = 100) enrolled in an undergraduate SUDC training program completed 6 brief workshops from April 2019 to April 2021. Three in-person workshops during 2019 covered clinical assessment, suicide risk and evaluation, and motivational interviewing, and 3 virtual workshops during 2020-2021 covered family engagement and mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement, as well as screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for expectant mothers. Pretest and posttest online surveys measured student-trainee knowledge gain related to all 6 SUDC modalities. Results of paired sample t tests evaluated changes in knowledge and self-efficacy from pretest to posttest. All 6 workshops showed a significant gain in knowledge from pretest to posttest. Four workshops showed a significant gain in self-efficacy from pretest to posttest. Hedges g ranged from 0.70 to 1.95 for knowledge gain and from 0.61 to 1.73 for self-efficacy gain across workshops. Common language effect sizes indicating the probability that a participant increased one's score from pretest to posttest ranged from 76% to 93% for knowledge gain and from 73% to 97% for self-efficacy gain across workshops. Results of this study add to the limited research base on training for paraprofessional SUDCs and suggest that in-person learning and virtual learning are both viable brief training tools for students.

The History and Evolution of the West African College of Surgeons/Jos University Teaching Hospital Trauma Management Course.

Inadequate trauma care training opportunities exist in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Jos University Teaching Hospital and the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) have synergized, over the past 15years, to introduce a yearly, certified, multidisciplinary Trauma Management Course. We explore the history and evolution of this course. A desk review of course secretariat documents, registration records, schedules, pre- and post-course test records, post-course surveys, and account books complemented by organizer interviews was carried out to elaborate the evolution of the Trauma Management Course. The course was started as a local Continuing Medical Education program in 2005 in response to recurring cycles of violence and numerous mass casualty situations. Collaborations with WACS followed, with inclusion of the course in the College's yearly calendar from 2010. Multidisciplinary faculty teach participants the concepts of trauma care through didactic lectures, group sessions, and hands-on simulation within a one-week period. From inception, there has been a 100% growth in lecture content (from 15 to 30 lectures) and in multidisciplinary attendance (from 23 to 133 attendees). Trainees showed statistically significant knowledge gain yearly, with a mean difference ranging from 10.1 to 16.1% over the past 5years. Future collaborations seek to expand the course and position it as a catalyst for regional emergency medical services and trauma registries. Multidisciplinary trauma management training is important for expanding holistic trauma capacity within the West African sub-region. The course serves as an example for Low- and Middle-Income contexts. Similar contextualized programs should be considered to strengthen trauma workforce development.

PropG—An Online Application for Learning Plant Propagation Glossary Terms

A mobile web application called PropG was developed for students to quickly access more than 270 glossary terms defined in a plant propagation textbook. The functionality and usefulness of the app was evaluated by 53 students enrolled in a semester-long online course in plant propagation. Means of pre- and post-test responses to 17 knowledge items showed students perceived a significant knowledge gain in the course for each of the subject categories evaluated. Most students agreed or strongly agreed this learning tool was organized and easy to navigate and would use it in the future. Since 2021, PropG received 153,645 total page views, 90,818 unique visits, and 17,216 returning visits, showing its widespread use in plant propagation.

Addressing Health Care Transition Competencies in Nurse Practitioner Education

Coordinating health care transition across care settings is a national core competency for nurse practitioner education. Caring for children and youth with special health care needs requires a collaborative approach to transition from a child-centered to an adult-focused care model. Adding this content is challenging, given the gaps in the health care transition literature and inconsistent faculty expertise. This report describes one university’s innovative quality improvement project aimed at developing competency in health care transition for children and youth with special health care needs among nurse practitioner students. The design, implementation, and evaluation of teaching strategies that resulted in significant knowledge gain for students are reported.

Commercial sexual trafficking of males: A pilot training with law enforcement

ABSTRACT Law enforcement agents are often the first professionals to come into contact with victims of commercial sexual trafficking (CST). While they likely have encountered female victims of CST, they may need increased understanding of the identification of male victims. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a training program aimed to increase awareness of male victims of CST among law enforcement professionals. Participants’ (N = 132) knowledge level was examined prior to the training and immediately thereafter and results showed that pretest knowledge scores were low. The majority of participants (77%) did not have prior training in CST in males and there was a significant gain in knowledge from pre to posttest. None of the participants’ demographic variables were significant predictors of pretest or posttest scores. Implications for training law enforcement in male CST are provided.

The effectiveness of effectiveness of premenopausal empowerment strategies on stress, depression and quality of life among premenopausal women’s

Introduction: Middle age is one of the turning points in one’s life as it brings along many changes. It roughly starts in the early 40s, when for most of the people; it is the best period in their life when their achievement is at the highest point. The challenges between adulthood and despair of old age, becomes the change of menopause in women and during which lives take a compulsory change of direction. Methodology: The research design adopted for this study was pre experimental design and research approach adopted for this was to evaluative the educative approach. The sample size was 100 teachers. Non-probability purposive sampling method was used. Result: The mean of post-test knowledge scores was 26.6, which is significantly higher than mean of pre-test knowledge scores of 12.4. Standard deviation of post-test score and pre-test score is 9.4 and 13.3 respectively. The computed paired “t” value (18.67, df=99 at the level of P= 0.05) is greater than table value (1.66) which represents significant gain in knowledge. Hence the hypothesis H1is is accepted. It is evident from the results that RH2: There will be significant association between the pre-test knowledge score and selected demographic variables at the level of P≤ 0.05. is accepted as there is significant association between pretest knowledge score and selected demographic variables like educational qualification, years of experience, child psychology in syllabus and attended in-service education. Conclusion: Therefore, the investigator realized that the need to create awareness on menopause among premenopausal women is necessary. Hence this study is planned to investigate the effectiveness of premenopausal empowerment startegies –a combination of educational empowerment and supervised exercise programme on menopause related problems and quality of life of the premenopausal women.

Effect of Educational Video on Maternal Nutrition, Hygiene and Sanitation Among Maternal Age Group Women: A Prospective Interventional Study from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Introduction: Interventions that try to alter behaviour in order to promote health and disease management are typically time and resource-consuming. At the moment, boosting maternal and child nutrition is the main focus of nutrition programs in India. This paper discusses the most effective methods to change eating habits, hygiene, and sanitisation particularly the significance of contemporary Information Technology (IT) in health education. Aim: To determine the pre education knowledge level and create awareness regarding maternal nutrition, hygiene and sanitation through the developed education video on personal hygiene and sanitation among maternal-aged group women. Materials and Methods: The community-based prospective interventional study was conducted from October 2019 to April 2021 by using the prospective intervention study design. Based on the Socio-demographic profile, anthropometric measurement, and clinical assessment, specific questions regarding dietary knowledge and personal hygiene were recorded by using the questionnaire. By using the recorded data through a questionnaire, 100 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling and divided into the control group (n=50) and experimental group (n=50) involved in the intervention study. The experimental group which consisted of 50 respondents was grouped into two groups E1 (n=25) and E2 (n=25) and educated separately (due to COVID-19 restriction on mass gatherings) three times a month at 15 days intervals. The nutrition education intervention was given through an educational video in the Hindi language. The effects of the intervention were studied among the participants of the experimental group. The control group did not receive any nutritional awareness sessions. Knowledge level before and after the education intervention was recorded by using the self-structured questionnaire consisting of 15 multiple questions. The data was analysed by using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique. Results: Analysis was done for the complete data collected from 100 participants (15-35 years of age, 50 in each control and experimental group) included in the present study. The mean age of maternal age group women was 22 years. No significant difference was found between the knowledge of the control and experimental group at baseline (p-value &gt;0.05). However, the post-intervention, there was significant gain in knowledge in the experimental group (p-value &lt;0.001). Conclusion: It was found that providing the nutrition education through the developed information and communication technology proved effective by increasing knowledge level among the maternal aged group women.

Participants’ knowledge gain, feedback, and organizers’ experience after online symposium organized for continuous medical education

Background: Worldwide lockdown and restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic prohibited gathering of people, which affected the academic activities and learning, especially in professional courses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online academic events became popular due to necessities, and also convenience. Effectiveness of such online academic events is still not substantially proven. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the participants’ knowledge gain, feedback, and organizers’ experience after online symposium organized for continuous medical education (CME). Materials and Methods: We conducted a 2-day electronic symposium (E-Symposium) as part of CME program, collected data from the participants before and after the symposium regarding their knowledge gain and feedback. Results: Our data analysis proved that E-Symposium resulted in significant knowledge gain of the participants, which was highest for faculty, followed by PhD scholars and postgraduate students. More than 80% of participants gave positive feedback and wished to participate in more such online events. Our results confirm that online academic events are successful in medical education and benefit the participants. Conclusion: Academic events organized with online platforms provide good opportunities for both teachers and students to gain knowledge, especially during pandemic and times of social restrictions.

Effect of health education on knowledge and practices of infectious disease prevention among primary school teachers in Kware, Sokoto, Nigeria

Infectious Disease (ID) knowledge and prevention practices are key elements that ensure the students' health and well-being while in school. The students' health faces many challenges, even more so in the developing world, especially in school premises where pupils live in close proximity. Teachers are the role model of the pupils while in school, therefore, they may play a central role in ensuring the pupils’ health. This research assessed the knowledge and practices of teachers and the effect of Health Education (HE) intervention on ID prevention in schools. A nonrandomized, quasi-experimental study was conducted, using the consecutive sampling method. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Fifty-five participants were enrolled at the start, but only 50 participants completed the study. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. The majority demonstrated poor knowledge before the intervention and, after the intervention, there was a knowledge gain from 14.5% to 98%. The practices of ID prevention in schools were poor due to other influences, such as the availability of facilities to put knowledge into practice. The primary school teachers had poor knowledge and practices on ID prevention in schools. The HE intervention yielded a statistically significant knowledge gain. Knowledge alone, however, is not enough for adequate practices, as most schools lack the facilities to foster ID prevention practices. The study suggested that the training of teachers on HE should be upheld. However, ID prevention practices can only be sustained by a commitment from the school management, and from the government through the provision of infrastructure.

Gain in Knowledge after Watching Video Clip of Soil Sampling in (SAS Nagar) Punjab India

Soil is one of the element required for farming as it provides nutrients to the plant. Healthy soil contain all the elements for growth and development of crop .Therefore, Soil sampling is one of the most important aspect in the determination of the properties of the soil or the soil deprived from one or more nutrient either reduce the production or degraded quality of crops. Therefore, proportion and quantity of macro and micro nutrients altogether refer to the soil health. As far as agriculture production is concerned, soil health play vital role in ensuring sustainable production with optimizing the utilization of fertilizer and reducing its waste. Soil sampling involves the analysis of a soil sample (from the area which is landscaped) to determine the nutrient content, composition. Of the soil. It allows the farmer to determine accurately which crop would yield the best growth in that particular soil. The survey of 100 respondents was taken and are selected randomly from all the three villages for the research and questionnaire was framed having the questions regarding the soil sampling and data was collected through the interview schedule or interaction of the respondents. Purposive as well as the random sampling procedure were followed in providing the knowledge regarding the soil sampling Then the data has been tabulated and analyzed with the objective to assess the knowledge gain by the shows that there is significant gain in knowledge by 74.63% more in respondents. After watching the video film it was found that the mean score was 50.81 before watching the video and 88.73 was after watching the video. Thereafter, mean percentage before watching the video was 50.81% and after watching the video was 88.73%. 90% of the respondents are aware about from where the soil sample should be taken and 88% of the respondents are aware of the harmful effects of pesticides to the environment.

Videos of demonstration versus text and image-based material for pre-skill conceptualisation in flipped newborn resuscitation training for medical students: a pilot study

BackgroundThe flipped skills lab is a student-centred approach which incorporates pre-class preparation (pre-skill conceptualization) followed by repeated, hands-on practice for practical skills training. Objective measures of skills acquisition in the flipped literature are few and conflicting. The importance of pre-skill conceptualization in flipped skills training suggests that pedagogically informed pre-skill conceptualization can enhance outcomes.MethodsA mixed quasi-experimental study was conducted on 41 final year medical students who followed a flipped newborn resuscitation skills lab. Pre-class preparatory material covered conceptual and procedural knowledge. Students in the traditional group (n = 19) and those in the interventionalmental group (n = 22) received identical reading material covering conceptual knowledge. Procedural knowledge was shared with the interventional group as demonstration videos, while the traditional group received a PowerPoint presentation with text and images covering the same material. Knowledge acquisition was assessed by 20 single best answer questions before and after hands-on practice in the skills lab and skill performance was tested post-intervention with a simulated scenario. Students’ perceptions were collected by survey. Quantitative data was analysed using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and Mann–Whitney U test as appropriate. Qualitative data was analysed by thematic analysis.ResultsOverall student rating of the intervention was positive with ratings of 4.54 and 4.46 out of 5 by the traditional group and the experimental group respectively. Post-intervention skill performance in the experimental group was significantly better (p < .05) in the interventional group (M = 87.86%, SD = 5.89) than in the traditional group (M = 83.44, SD = 5.30) with a medium effect size (r = .40). While both groups showed significant knowledge gains, only students in the experimental group showed a statistically significant gain in procedural knowledge (p < .05) following the flipped skills lab. Finally, while both groups self-reported feeling more knowledgeable and confident following the intervention, the level of confidence was superior in the experimental group.ConclusionsFlipping the skills lab with pre-skill conceptualisation combining text-based conceptual knowledge and video-based procedural knowledge followed by simulation-based hands-on practice improves procedural knowledge and skills acquisition in newborn resuscitation training for medical students. This study shows that in addition to temporal benefits, pedagogically informed pre-skill conceptualization can confer procedure-specific cognitive and emotional benefits supporting skills acquisition.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Programme on Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Oral Cancer among Construction Site Workers in Gorakhpur, U.P.

Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth and the back of the throat. Oral cancers develop on the tongue, the tissue lining the mouth and gums, under the tongue, at the base of the tongue, and the area of the throat at the back of the mouth. Oral cancer accounts for roughly three percent of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States, or about 53,000 new cases each year. Oral cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use (or both), or infection by the human papilloma virus. The study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of awareness programme on knowledge and attitude regarding oral cancer among construction site workers. The study found that in pretest 56(93.3%) had adequate knowledge, 2(3.3%) had moderate knowledge and 2(3.3%) had inadequate knowledge. After the awareness programme, in posttest 40(66.7%) had adequate knowledge, 16(26.7%) had moderate knowledge and 4(6.7%) had adequate knowledge and none of the participants had average and inadequate knowledge. Paired “t‟ test showed significant increase in the knowledge scores. The mean pretest knowledge scores of participants (24.17) was significantly higher than their mean pretest scores (19.05). The calculated „t‟ value (t=19.56) was greater than the table value at (0.05) level of significant. Similarly, the mean pre-test attitude scores of positive statement was (71.75) and for negative statement it was (12.63) was significantly higher than their mean pretest score positive statement was (60.22) and for negative statement it was (10.72).The calculated t value(13.45) was greater than the table value at (0.05)level of significant and it was concluded that there was highly significant gain in knowledge and attitude regarding oral cancer. There was significant association between religion and pre-test knowledge scores (p&lt;0.05). Awareness program implemented during the study had equipped the workers with better knowledge and attitude regarding oral cancer. Information provided in the program helped the participants to know the various forms of oral cancer and also helped the participant to change their attitude against oral cancer. So there was no association between knowledge scores and attitude scores regarding construction site workers. There was no correlation scores between pre-test knowledge scores and attitude scores. The study concluded that there was an effectiveness of awareness programme on knowledge and attitude regarding oral cancer among construction site workers

One year of digital teaching in psychiatry as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Knowledge gain and content evaluation of medical students for two summer semesters in 2020 and 2021.

After the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, digital teaching had to be implemented by most universities at short notice and widely replaced classroom teaching. As a consequence, digital teaching further reduced direct social interaction for students. One year after the introduction of digital teaching formats at our university medical center (department of psychiatry and psychotherapy), teaching evaluation of students from summer semesters 2020 and 2021 (SS20, SS21) were compared. The main objective of this study was to objectify whether students evaluate digital teaching less favorably after one year of its implementation. Ratings of 311 medical students on (1) knowledge gain, (2) teaching contents and (3) subjective advantages of digital teaching were analyzed for the two separate cohorts SS20 (n = 175) and SS21 (n = 136). Students also rated their pandemic-related stress level, and if learning progress had been reduced by the pandemic in general. Significant knowledge gain was achieved for all included domains in psychiatry (all p < .001), and did not differ between SS20/SS21. Teaching contents in SS21 were rated worse in six out of eight domains compared to SS20 (p < .001 to .05). Also, subjective advantages of digital teaching vanished in most domains comparing the cohorts of SS21 and SS20 (p < .001 to .05). No differences were found for pandemic-related stress level and subjective learning progress. Limitations include the post-hoc design, possible bias from individual exam grades, and sampling bias. The present study showed that knowledge gain can be considered to be stable one year after the pandemic-related implementation of digital teaching. However, sustainability of this teaching format should be monitored critically: The subject of psychiatry and psychotherapy thrives on direct communication, which can be compromised when using digital formats only. In this light, implementation of more interactive formats in digital teaching is discussed.