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Research and Development in Medical Education - Volume:2 Issue: 2, 2013

Research and Development in Medical Education
Volume:2 Issue: 2, 2013

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1392/09/30
  • تعداد عناوین: 9
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  • Sangeeta Lamba, Tiffany Murano, Roxanne Nagurka Pages 50-53
    Introduction
    Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Nationally, only 3-8% of patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) who are eligible for thrombolysis currently receive recombinant tissue plasminogen factor (r-TPA). Lack of knowledge and familiarity with thrombolytics in stroke therapy are major impediments. We investigated the baseline stroke management concepts and knowledge of AIS therapy in Emergency Department (ED) healthcare providers and then assessed the impact of a brief educational intervention.
    Method
    An anonymous 14-item (11 multiple choice and 3 open-ended) questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 58 healthcare providers in the ED of a Level-1, tertiary care, academic, urban hospital. The survey was collected and a 15-minute lecture was provided to the group. A post-test was administered immediately and six months after the intervention. Data collected were analyzed with chi-square, analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis analysis using SAS 9.1.3.
    Results
    Of the 58 respondents 77% (45/58) identified r-TPA as the thrombolytic agent, but only 56% (33/58) knew the therapeutic window and 29% (17/58) knew the “Door-to-CT” time. Sixty-two percent (36/58) of the respondents reported unfamiliarity with the National Institute of Health’s Stroke Scale and the eligibility criteria of r-TPA. Median score pre-education was 5/14 which improved to 11/14 (CI 8-12, p<0.0001) and six months later was 8/14 (best score was 12, p<0.0001). Only 8% (5/58) of the respondents expressed a special interest in stroke.
    Conclusion
    Few medical personnel express a special interest in stroke and many misunderstand basic management concepts as well as eligibility criteria for thrombolysis in AIS. A brief targeted intervention improves knowledge and familiarizes ED healthcare providers about the use of r-TPA in AIS. Improvement in knowledge was demonstrated on testing immediately and at six month follow-up.
    Keywords: Emergency Medicine, Emergency Department, r, TPA, Ischemic stroke therapy
  • Alireza Khabbazi, Mehrzad Hajalilou, Sousan Kolahi, Mohammadreza Jafari Nakhjovani, Hamid Noshad, Parviz Saleh Pages 55-58
    Introduction
    Journal clubs are known as the teaching methods in most of the medical training centers. In journal club (JC) participants discuss about articles in recent medical papers and finally, written scientific results are accepted or rejected. The aim of this study was to compare the traditional and evidence based medicine (EBM) type of JCs.
    Methods
    The present study was conducted in Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz University of medical sciences from January to March 2010. Forty participants were enrolled in our study: 16 stagers, 11 interns and 13 internal medicine residents. We held 3 journal clubs with 14 participants in the first session and 13 participants in the other sessions. Journal club was held at the end of each week. The first paper was presented by one of the attending physicians of rheumatology ward. The second paper was presented by another attendant of rheumatology ward who was a member of EBM group of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Then the results were compared.
    Results
    The comparison of the sums of participants’ scores didn’t show any meaningful difference between traditional and EBM journal club in topic, purpose, and methods & material part of papers, but in the results section of the papers, the difference was remarkable.
    Conclusions
    Our study showed that in the EBM journal clubs, participants learnt more about the results part of the papers.but in the results section of the papers.
    Keywords: Journal club, Evidence based medicine Traditional type, Rheumatology
  • Maryam Akbari Lakeh, Hossein Karimi Moonaghi, Abbas Makarem, Habib Allah Esmaieli, Mahdi Ebrahimi Pages 59-63
    Introduction
    Recently, promotion of SQ has been introduced as a factor in improving the quality of working life and performance of employees. Since faculty members are the greatest resource of universities; recognition of the SQ and its effectiveness would be the shortcut route to improve their overall performance. Finding and applying all factors affecting the educational organizations promotion is the main approach in improving the quality of higher education. This study aimed to determine the demographic of faculty members, the level of spiritual intelligence and its dimensions in medical faculty members.
    Methods
    This descriptive cross-sectional study with the participant of 160 medical faculty members (32 basic science faculty members, 128 clinical science faculty members) conducted through stratified probability sampling in one of the medical universities in Iran. King’s modified Spiritual intelligence questionnaire was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS 11.0.
    Results
    The mean score of faculty members’ SQ was 63.0±1.2, which was moderate. There was no significant difference between faculty members’ SQ scores (p=0.7) considering the minimum score of 28.0 and maximum score of 87.0; (t=0.4). In dimensions of SQ: the highest score was for critical existential thinking and the lowest one was for transcendental awareness. There was significant difference between dimensions of SQ among the participants (p<0.001).
    Conclusion
    Since we found a significant difference between dimensions of SQ among participants, the studies exploring the nature of this difference were warranted. It seems that proper training for promotion of SQ can be an important step for the development of universities educational organization.
    Keywords: Spirituality, Intelligencel, Faculty, Medical
  • Shahram Sedghi, Iman Tahamtan Pages 65-68
    Introduction
    This study analyzes the minutes of departments and educational council in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, School of Health Management and Information Sciences and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the departments meetings.
    Methods
    This was a descriptive study. The study population was all minutes of departments in School of Health Management and Information Sciences in TUMS in 2004-2010. Minutes were transformed into digital format with a scanner. We used NVivo 8 software to codify and analyze the data.
    Results
    Findings showed that in the meetings of both educational council and departments more attention was paid to the “thesis and proposal” and “educational issues”. Furthermore, each department had its own unique subjects which were not discussed in other departments.
    Conclusion
    The chancellor at this school, deputy of dean and head of departments can use findings of current study to know the weaknesses of departments meetings and plan for better organization of weekly and monthly meetings in order to achieve the school goals and serve students better.
    Keywords: Content analysis, Minutes, Meetings, Educational council
  • Ghadam Ali Talebi, Reza Ghaffari, Eyoub Eskandarzadeh, Mir Ali Eteraf Oskouei Pages 69-72
    Introduction
    Item analysis is an integrate component of course assessment which helps observe the item characteristics and improve the quality of the course exam. It also provides a guide for improving the teaching method to enhance the students’ learning outcomes. However, item analysis results may not be applied to adjust the way teachers teach and improve the items characteristics. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of item analysis in improving assessment and teaching quality.
    Methods
    The Item characteristics of the final exam for kinesiology course for physiotherapy students in 2 semesters were studied. Improved and good multiple choice questions (MCQs) were then conducted for another semester, followed by application of both good MCQs and improved teaching for the other semester. The item characteristics were compared to observe any effect of good MCQs and teaching on educational performance.
    Results
    The good MCQs along with the improved teaching were associated with the greater mean score and the students who passed the exam rather than those with only good MCQs. The percentage of easy questions (42.5%) in students who received good MCQs and improved teaching compared with those (15%) who only received good MCQs indicated that the improved pool of questions were shifted from medium to easier questions.
    Conclusion
    We concluded that the item analysis should be followed by revised and improved teaching method. It appears that improved item characteristics are associated with improved teaching method and possibly with an improvement in students’ learning.
    Keywords: Item analysis, Students learning, Assessment
  • Reza Ghaffari, Fariba Salek Ranjbarzadeh, Eskandar Fatiazar, Susan Hassanzadeh, Naser Safaei, Parisa Golanbar, Hossein Mazouochian, Elham Abbasi Pages 73-76
    Introduction
    Learning style is an individual’s preferred method of encountering information in specific situations in order to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes through study or experience. Students and Planers’ awareness of learning styles facilitate the teaching process, increases satisfaction and makes the future choices easier. This study aimed to examine different learning styles and their relation to academic achievement in medical students of basic sciences program at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
    Methods
    In this descriptive – analytical study, the sample consisted of all medical students of basic sciences program at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2011-2012. The data was collected through a questionnaire which included respondents’ demographic information and overall grade point average (GPA) as well as Kolb standard questions on learning styles.
    Results
    4.3%, 47.8%, 44.9% and 2.9% of students preferred diverger, assimilator, converger and accommodator learning styles, respectively. Mean overall GPA of students who preferred diverger learning styles was 14.990.39±. Students who prefer assimilator, converger and accommodator learning styles had mean overall GPAs of 14.940.56±, 15.080.58± and 14.830.29± respectively. The findings showed no significant relationship between students’ learning academic achievement and their learning styles (p = 0.689).
    Conclusion
    There was no significant relationship between Students’ academic achievement and their learning styles. Furthermore, the majorit of the students preferred accommodator and converger learning styles. Consequently, adopting interactive teaching methods, using tutorials, running simulation programs, launching laboratory activities and encouraging students to think and analyze problems and issues can be greatly effective in prolonging their learning lifecycle.
    Keywords: Learning Styles, Medical Students, Academic Achievement
  • Mohammad Zakaria Pezeshki, Hossein Jabbari Bayrami, Barmak Yaaghoobian Pages 77-82
    Introduction
    Inappropriate utilization of scientific evidence in health systems has led to a motivation for designing different studies by various stakeholders to identify the dimensions of this problem and the proper solution for them. In health system of Islamic republic of Iran, among the most important stakeholders are senior and middle managers whose opinions about barriers of utilization of scientific evidence can be studied by questionnaire. This study has been done to make this questionnaire and find items and sub scales with appropriate content validity.
    Methods
    Delphi method was used in three rounds among 10 experts in the fields related to health management in the universities that had the greatest research on health system, knowledge transfer and barriers to use of scientific evidence. The basic scientific content of the questioned items was WHO report table in 2004 entitled “Knowledge for better health”.
    Results
    75 items were obtained in 13 sub scales of which 73 items and 11 sub scales were changed or they were new. The sub scales were Health-care system, practice, educational, social and political environments, care providers, patients and their attendants, country health system, medical council and forensic medicine, research environment, economic environment, insurance and payment system and information infrastructures.
    Conclusion
    2 items and five subscales of the main items listed in the table of the World Health Organization remained unchanged, 21 items and 5 subscales were changed and 52 items and 6 subscales were added. All subscales in BARRIER questionnaire have equivalents in the table obtained from our study except the subscale of the quality of research indicating the problems of scientific evidence.
    Keywords: Health system, Managers, Scientific evidence, Delphi method
  • Mahasti Alizadeh, Jafarsadegh Tabrizi, Naimsadat Kia, Elham Khanlarzadeh, Zhila Khamnian Pages 83-86
    Introduction
    Patient centered decision making is one of the main aspects of evidence –based medicine, in addition to being morally important. The aim of this study was to extract the experiences of clinicians on patient-centered decision making.
    Method
    A qualitative study based on descriptive phenomenology method was done. Purposive sampling was used to select the clinicians from among faculty members of medical school. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used to gather the data. The discussion continued till the saturation of data was achieved. Content analysis was used for data analysis.
    Results
    The participants of FGD were 6 clinicians from various specialties. 218 codes were extracted from the data and they were categorized in 4 themes and 16 subthemes. The main themes were: good relationship with patients, respect to the opinions and beliefs of the patients, taking into account the needs, preferences and experiences of the patients, comfort and safety of outpatient and inpatient setting for patient, shared decision making.
    Conclusion
    Patient centeredness based on the experiences of clinicians in an educational hospital is similar to other studies but in developing countries like Iran clinicians have contextual and cultural barriers to apply it.
    Keywords: Patient centeredness, Patient –centered decision making, Patient values, Phenomenology
  • Milad Ghanizadeh, Mahdi Rahbar, Ali Hafezeqoran, Mahdi Sadeghi Pages 87-90
    Introduction
    One of the most important decisions in an individual’s life is to choose the field of study. Then, lots of money and time are spent in order to gain required skills and competencies of the job. According to previous studies, job changing is rarely possible for dentists which is due to the importance of field choice. The present study aimed at determining motivations to choose dentistry field among dental students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2013.
    Methods
    In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 245 questionnaires were distributed among all dental students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and finally 200 questionnaires (81%) were returned. The questionnaire was made by the researcher and its reliability and validity were proved. Data was analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical methods and SPSS.
    Results
    The students referred to appropriate occupational opportunity and social position as the most important reasons to choose the field while possible abroad job opportunities had the least effect in this regard. Income among males, family advice and serving society among females were the most important factors.
    Conclusion
    Students reported social respect, occupational independency and serving society as the most important motivational factors to choose the field. Providing correct information, the opportunity can be used to promote dentists position in society and improve public attitude toward this field.
    Keywords: Dentistry, Study choice, Motivation, Students