ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the role of workshop in communication skills training of doctors resulting in better healthcare delivery
Study Design: Quasi-experimental interventional study
Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Bahawalpur, from Jun 2013 to Aug 2013
Material and Methods: The participants were divided into two groups, those who received the intervention [n=10] and those who received the placebo [n=5]. Intervention was offered in the shape of a workshop that imparted knowledge via lectures and handouts and skill and attitude via audiovisual tapes and role playing. The placebo comprised of an academic workshop which had nothing to do with communication skills. The patients of both groups of doctors were given DISQ [Doctors interpersonal skills questionnaire] and their level of satisfaction based on their interaction with the doctors was evaluated
Results: The overall reliability of the study design and the method of its administration, pre and post the administration of the intervention was 93.2% and were deemed high enough to be considered reliable. The patients of doctors who received the intervention scored a mean of 37.2350 on DISQ with SD of +/- 8.68139 before intervention and mean of 42.0550 with SD of +/- 10.22176 after intervention. The patients of doctors who received the placebo scored a mean of 35.7100 with a SD of +/- 9.81166 before placebo and mean of 36.5900 with SD of +/- 8.55770 after placebo. The p-value was =0.001 [highly significant] when intervention group was compared before intervention and after intervention. However p-value was 0.433 [not significant] when control group was compared before and after placebo
Conclusion: Doctors who received the workshop designed to enhance the effectiveness of their communication skills were able to satisfy their patients to a greater degree compared as to those who received the placebo
ABSTRACT
Objective: To assess the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale pattern and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF scale scores of patients with schizophrenia after seven years of the initial diagnosis
Study Design: A cross sectional observational study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Psychiatry, Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Jan 2007 to Dec 2008
Material and Methods: Thirty patients who were invalided out of military service with the diagnosis of schizophrenia in 2000 and 2001 were subjected to psychometric evaluation seven years after the initial diagnosis in 2007 and 2008. They were assessed for their current symptoms and Quality of life using Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale [PANSS] and World Health Organization Quality of Life [WHOQoL-BREF] scale respectively. Both are established psychometric tools to assess the entire spectrum of schizophrenia and quality of life
Result: All patients were males. Forty three percent of the subjects had Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale [PANSS] score i.e. below cut off value of 65. Mean PANSS score of the group was 72. A score of more than 12 on World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF [WHOQoL-BREF] scale indicating better quality of life was seen in 43 % of the patients. Factors linked with PANSS score > 65 and poor Quality of life [Qol score 4-12] were being single, unemployed, living in cities, using psychoactive substances and in initial years of military service
Conclusion: More than half of the patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia continue to show high Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale [PANSS] score and poor quality of life after seven years of initial diagnosis of schizophrenia
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to highlight the presently used medical educational principles highlighted in the Quran, analyze them and correlate them to derive lessons facilitating their implementation. Mixed method study. Department of Medical Education, CMH Medical College, Lahore; January to December, 2013. Verses of Quran from different Tafaseer [Explanation of Quran by renowned Muslim Scholars] related to education were identified. Help from dictionaries and encyclopedias available on internet were sought for true meanings and connotations. The ideas derived from the medical educational research were applied to find educational principles and compared to existing medical educational philosophies. Learner response system was used to gather educationalists opinions. Principles of medical education which have been learned over last few decades and are now globally accepted and practiced were already there in Quran for last 1400 years. The common principles discovered and discussed were: Simplicity, Learning in steps, Paced learning, Identification of important, Critical thinking, Inductive reasoning, Use of examples, and Repetition. Most of these are core principles of medical education. Adult learning principles are already present in the Quran. In the propagation of these modern medical educational principles, references to Quran may help to understand their deeper perspectives. It may expedite the wider acceptance by educationalists in the Muslim countries
ABSTRACT
To asses the frequency of psychiatric disorders in the admitted patients of other medical disciplines at PNS Shifa Karachi. Cross sectional study. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted at PNS Shifa Karachi from April 2007 to Oct 2007. Total of 427 hospitalized patients in other medical disciplines at PNS Shifa Karachi; a tertiary care hospital, referred for psychiatric consultation in sequence were studied. The age of the patients ranged from 13 to 97 years, with the mean age being 43.22 years. Sixty four percent patients of the studied individuals were males. Forty nine percent patients were diagnosed to be suffering from Depression/Dysthymia. Twelve percent patients qualified the diagnosis of Anxiety disorder and Reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders each. Seventeen percent patients suffered from Dementia, Delirium, Psychoactive substance abuse, Acute and transient Psychotic disorder, Schizophrenia, Bipolar affective disorder/Mood disorder and Puerperal depression. A considerable proportion of psychiatrically ill patients require psychiatric intervention either because of their primary psychiatric disorder or secondary psychological reactions to physical morbidity. Such intervention in time not only improves the quality of patient's life but also saves the heavy portion of the budget utilized for medical services in these patients later on if not diagnosed earlier