Motivators and barriers for using E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic among students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda

Background To continue delivering the courses despite school closure during the covid-19 pandemic, the University of Rwanda abruptly shifted its teaching from traditional physical to online teaching. This was the compulsory medium of teaching during the lockdown period. This sudden change did not allow for adequate preparation for students. Objectives To assess the preparation of learners to use the e-learning platform, and to explore the factors that enabled or inhibited learners' use of the e-learning platform. Method This was a cross-sectional quantitative research design study done between June and July 2020. An online questionnaire was sent to all students registered in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences for the academic year 2019-2020. Results A total of 446 students completed the questionnaire. Students reported not being adequately oriented and unprepared to effectively use e-learning. Students were motivated to use e-learning when the learning objectives were clear, interactive, with engaging materials. Inadequate e-learning infrastructure, limited access to internet connectivity and inadequate devices were identified as the strongest barriers of using e-learning. Conclusion The covid-19 pandemic has brought a transformational opportunity to embrace a blended learning approach. To sustain such a transformation, proper and timely planning and strategies need to be invested.

Attitude of health care professional students towards hand hygiene

Background: Hands are the principal route of nosocomial infections or hospital acquired infections or health associated infections. Hand hygiene is effective in reducing infection rates. Hand hygiene among the health care professionals play a pivotal role in preventing the transmission of hospital acquired infections. The aim of the study was to assess the attitude regarding hand hygiene among students of healthcare professions.Methods: Quantitative research approach and descriptive survey design were used for the study. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to select 100 samples, 25 each from MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing and BPT. A structured attitude scale was used to collect the data. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: The study results showed that majorities (55%) of sample were in the age of 22 years, majorities (90%) were females, and majority (98%) of sample had previous information regarding hand hygiene. The entire study sample had favorable attitudes towards hand hygiene. The study showed a significant association between attitude scores and receiving previous information on hand hygiene.Conclusions: The study concluded that health professional students have favorable attitude towards hand hygiene.

Involvement of health professionals in tobacco control in the South-East Asia Region.

Tobacco use is widely entrenched in the South-East Asia (SEA) Region leading to high morbidity and mortality in this region. Several studies revealed that tobacco use is widespread among youth and school children. Exposure to second-hand smoke was reported as around 50% or more in three countries - Myanmar (59.5%), Bangladesh (51.3%), and Indonesia (49.6%). Health profession students encompassing medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy disciplines, and even qualified health professionals are no exception from tobacco use. While they are regarded as role models in tobacco cessation programs, their tobacco addiction will carry a negative impact in this endeavour. A mere inquiry about the smoking status of patients and a brief advice by doctors or dentists increases quit rates and prompts those who have not thought about quitting to consider doing so. Evidence from some randomized trials suggests that advice from motivated physicians to their smoking patients could be effective in facilitating cessation of smoking. However, the low detection rate of smokers by many physicians and the small proportion of smokers who routinely receive advice from their physicians to quit have been identified as a matter of concern. This paper describes the role and issues of involvement of health professionals in tobacco control. Data from a variety of sources is used to assess the status. Although there are some differences, tobacco use is widespread among the students and health professional students. Exposure to second hand smoke is also a matter of concern. Tobacco-related problems and tobacco control cut across a vast range of health disciplines. Building alliances among the health professional associations in a vertical way will help synergize efforts, and obtain better outcomes from use of existing resources. Health professional associations in some countries in the SEA region have already taken the initiative to form coalitions at the national level to advance the tobacco control agenda. In Thailand, a Thai Health Professional Alliance against Tobacco, with 17 allies from medical, nursing, traditional medicine, and other health professional organizations, is working in a concerted manner toward promoting tobacco control. Indian Dental Association intervention is another good example.

Linking India global health professions student survey data to the world health organization framework convention on tobacco control.

The 2003 India Tobacco Control Act (ITCA) includes provisions designed to reduce tobacco consumption and protect citizens from exposure to secondhand smoke. India ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on February 27, 2005. The WHO FCTC is the world's first public health treaty that aims to promote and protect public health and reduce the devastating health and economic impact of tobacco. The Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) was developed to track tobacco use among third-year dental, medical, nursing, and pharmacy students across countries. Data from the dental (2005), medical (2006), nursing(2007), and pharmacy (2008) GHPSS conducted in India showed high prevalence of tobacco use and a general lack of training by health professionals in patient cessation counseling techniques. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare could use this information to monitor and evaluate the existing tobacco control program effort in India as well as to develop and implement new tobacco control program initiatives.