Self-Appraisal of Clinical Competence in Echocardiography of Chinese Intensivists Post Basic Echocardiography Training / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objectives To learn the echocardiography skills of intensivists after receiving a basic critical care echocardiography training course, and investigate factors that may influence their performance. Methods We completed a web-based questionnaire that assessed the skills in ultrasound scanning techniques of intensivists who took a training course on basic critical care echocardiography held in 2019 and 2020. Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze the factors which might affect their performance on image acquisition, recognizing clinical syndrome, and measuring the diameter of inferior vena cava, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral.Results We enrolled 554 physicians from 412 intensive care units across China. Among them, 185 (33.4%) reported that they had 10%-30% chance of being misled by critical care echocardiography when making therapeutic decision, and 34 (6.1%) reported that the chance was greater than 30%. Intensivists who performed echocardiography under the guidance of a mentor and finished ultrasound scanning more than 10 times per week reported significant higher scores in image acquisition, clinical syndrome recognition, and quantitative measurement of inferior vena cava diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral than those without mentor and performing echocardiography 10 times or less per week respectively (all P < 0.05).Conclusion The skills in diagnostic medical echocardiography of Chinese intensivists after a basic echocardiographic training course remain low, and further quality assurance training program is clearly warranted.

Percepción de la competencia comunicativa médica durante la entrevista clínica en un hospital docente peruano: validación y aplicación de un instrumento evaluativo / Perception of medical communication skills during the clinical interview in a Peruvian teaching hospital: validation and application of an assessment tool

OBJETIVO Determinar la percepción de los pacientes sobre la destreza en la comunicación de los médicos que atienden en consultorio externo de un hospital docente de Lima, Perú, según el instrumento Communication Assessment Tool. MÉTODOS La población de estudio fue el colectivo de pacientes atendidos en los consultorios externos del Hospital Cayetano Heredia. El cuestionario Communication Assessment Tool consta de 15 preguntas, se utilizó una versión validada al castellano. La percepción de la destreza en comunicación se determinó como la sumatoria de los puntajes del total de las premisas, entre la cantidad de las premisas. Se definió como mala (1), justa (2), buena (3), muy buena (4) y excelente (5). RESULTADOS El porcentaje de pacientes que calificaron la competencia comunicativa como "mala" (puntaje Communication Assessment Tool promedio) fue de 6,8%, "justa" 27,2%, "buena" 23,9%, "muy buena" 30,1% y "excelente" 12,1%. Se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas respecto a los rangos de edad y entre los distintos grados de instrucción. El grupo de pacientes entre 18 y 29 años otorgó puntajes más altos en el Communication Assessment Tool (rango = 2,2 a 4,87; p = 0,001). Además, cuando el nivel educativo del encuestado fue superior tendió a colocar puntajes más altos (rango = 3,67 a 4,73; p = 0,001). CONCLUSIONES Se determinó que 66,2% de los pacientes tuvo una percepción positiva, sólo 12,11% lo calificó como "excelente", un valor muy por debajo a lo reportado en la literatura. Los que brindaron mejor calificación fueron los pacientes jóvenes y con mayor grado de instrucción.

OBJECTIVE To determine the perception of patients regarding physicians' communication skills at the outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital in Lima-Peru, using the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT). METHODS The study population was the group of patients treated in the outpatient clinics of the Cayetano Heredia Hospital. The CAT questionnaire contains 15 questions, and a version validated for Spanish was used. The perception of communication skills was defined as the sum of the scores of all the items, over the number of items, defined as: poor (1), fair (2), good (3), very good, (4), and excellent (5). RESULTS The percentage of patients who rated communication skills as "poor" (average CAT Score) was 6.8%, "fair" 27.2%, "good" 23.9%, "very good" 30.1 and "excellent" 12.1%. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the age ranges and among the different levels of education. The group of patients between 18 and 29 years old gave higher scores in the instrument (range 2.2 to 4.87, p = 0.001). Furthermore, when the educational level of the respondent was high, the participants tended to rate physicians with higher scores (range 3.67 to 4.73, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION We found that 66.2% of patients had a positive perception of the physicians' communication skills; only 12.1% rated it as "excellent," a value well below what is reported in the literature. Those who gave the best rating were younger patients with the highest level of education.

Avaliação de um aplicativo para smartphone para aprimoramento da certificação médica da causa da morte / Evaluation of a smartphone application to improve medical certification of the cause of death

RESUMO Introdução: O aplicativo para smartphone AtestaDO foi desenvolvido para auxiliar o médico na certificação da causa de morte. Neste estudo se propõe avaliar a aceitabilidade desse aplicativo. Métodos: Médicos foram convidados para participar de reuniões sobre certificação correta da causa da morte e avaliar o aplicativo em três etapas dessas reuniões, realizadas em Natal e em dois grandes hospitais de Belo Horizonte. Resultados: Em Natal, 82% dos 38 médicos participantes tinham mais de 20 anos de graduação, e em Belo Horizonte, mais de 67% dos 58 médicos tinham menos de 5 anos de graduação. As seções "Interface do aplicativo", "Como atestar as causas de morte", "Prática com exercícios" e "Outras informações para o médico" foram bem avaliadas por mais de 50% dos médicos de Belo Horizonte. Em Natal, todas as seções foram bem avaliadas por pelo menos 80% dos médicos. Mais de 70% dos participantes de Natal e da segunda etapa de Belo Horizonte usariam o aplicativo para preencher a causa de morte. A probabilidade de usar o AtestaDO para dar aulas sobre preenchimento da Declaração de Óbito foi de 83% para médicos de Natal, mas inferior a 60% em Belo Horizonte. Nas três etapas, a maioria dos médicos recomendaria o uso do aplicativo para outros colegas. Conclusão: A avaliação do aplicativo AtestaDO mostrou boa aceitabilidade. Espera-se que o uso dessa ferramenta permita alcançar melhorias na certificação médica da causa do óbito.

ABSTRACT Introduction: A smartphone application named AtestaDO was developed to support physicians with medical certification of the cause of death. The objective of this study is to evaluate the acceptability of the app. Methods: Physicians were invited to attend meetings on the proper certification of cause of death, and to evaluate the application in a national workshop in Natal (first stage) and in two large hospitals in Belo Horizonte (second and third stages). Results: In Natal, 82% of 38 physicians had more than 20 years of experience and in Belo Horizonte, more than 67% of 58 physicians had less than 5 years of experience. The sections "Application interface", "How to certify the causes of death", "Practice with exercises" and "Other information for physicians" were positively evaluated by more than 50% of physicians in Belo Horizonte. In Natal, all sections were positively evaluated by at least 80% of participants. More than 70% of the participants in both Natal and the second stage of Belo Horizonte indicated they would possibly use AtestaDO to guide filling of a death certificate. The probability of using AtestaDO to teach classes on filling death certificates was 83.3% for Natal's physicians but less than 60% in Belo Horizonte. In the three stages, most physicians would recommend using the application to other colleagues. Conclusion: The evaluation of AtestaDO showed good acceptability. We expect that the use of this tool enables improvements in medical certification of causes of death.

Metodología para el pase de visita de Enfermería en la atención primaria de salud / Methodology for the Nursing ward round in the primary health care

La atención primaria de salud forma parte integrante del Sistema Nacional de Salud. La enfermería comunitaria es la parte de la Enfermería que desarrolla y aplica, de forma integral, los cuidados al individuo, la familia y la comunidad, en el continuo proceso salud-enfermedad. El profesional de enfermería comunitaria contribuye de forma específica para que los individuos, familia y la comunidad adquieran habilidades, hábitos normas de conductas que fomenten su autocuidado; en el marco de la salud, la que comprende los siguientes elementos: promoción, protección, recuperación y rehabilitación de la salud, además de la prevención de enfermedades. La visita docente-asistencial es la actividad continua y exclusiva de la práctica y enseñanza de la profesión médica. Dicha actividad según el escenario en que se realice, puede ser hospitalaria o en la comunidad. En la atención primaria de salud existe una metodología para el desarrollo del pase de visita de enfermería en la educación en el trabajo, lo que adquiere un carácter peculiar dentro de la práctica laboral. Con el objetivo de describir dicha metodología y valorar teóricamente el papel de la enfermería comunitaria en la atención primaria de salud, se realizó una exhaustiva revisión bibliográfica sobre las formas de organización de la enseñanza y los métodos de educación en el trabajo aplicados a la carrera de Enfermería (AU).

Primary health care is a part of the National Health System. Community nursery is the part of nursing comprehensively developing and applying care to individuals, families and the community in the continuous health-disease process. The community nursery professionals contribute, in a specific way, to the acquisition of skills, habits, behavior norms promoting self-care by individuals, families and the community in the context of the primary health care which includes the following elements: health promotion, protection, recovering and rehabilitation, and also disease prevention. The teaching-care round is the continuous and exclusive activity of the medical profession teaching and practice. That activity, according to the scenery in which it is carried out, may be in the hospital or in the community. There is a methodology in the primary health care for the development of the nursery ward round in the education at work. With the objective of describing that methodology and theoretically assessing the role of community nursing in the primary health care, an exhaustive bibliographic review was carried out on the forms of teaching organization and the methods of education at work used in nursing studies (AU).

Ciencia médica, ciencia clínica y la formación del médico / Medical and Clinical Sciencies during the Doctor´s formation

Durante los estudios de la Carrera de Medicina el estudiante está construyendo su propio conocimiento a través de los elementos científico-técnicos y artísticos. Esta es una ciencia donde se distinguen, desde el punto de vista didáctico, dos áreas de sistema de conocimientos: Ciencias Preclínicas y Ciencias Clínicas, que no son más que momentos diferentes, pero interrelacionados en el abordaje del proceso salud-enfermedad. Luego de transcurrir los primeros cinco años del pregrado en Cuba, el estudiante se convierte en un agente pre-profesional al iniciarse en el internado de un año de duración en la Atención Primaria y Secundaria como escenarios docente-asistenciales, siempre bajo la supervisión de un tutor. Es pues, en el sexto año o internado donde se consolidan los conocimientos, habilidades y valores en un estudiante con modelación cualitativamente superior, para lograr los modos de actuación del egresado a través de la práctica pre-profesional que se realiza en dicha etapa previa al examen de graduación. Así pues, el encargo social al que responde la universidad del siglo XXI plantea la necesidad de egresar un profesional cada vez más comprometido con la salud pública, y es muy importante tener en cuenta una adecuada, precoz y fructífera motivación por la carrera para prestar un servicio sanitario óptimo (AU).

Scientific, technical and artistic elements are very important during medical studies because through them, the student is building his/her own knowledge. From the didactical point of view, this is a science composed by two areas of the knowledge system: Preclinical and Clinical sciences, meaning no more than different moments, but both interrelated, in approaching the health-disease process. After attending the first five years of the pre-grade in Cuba, the student becomes a pre-professional agent at the beginning of the year-long internship in the Primary and Secondary health care as teaching-health care surrounding, always under the supervision of a tutor. Therefore, it is the sixth year or internship when the student consolidates knowledge, skills and values with qualitatively higher models, to achieve the graduate´s behavioral patterns through the pre-professional practice performed in this stage before the graduation exam. Thus, the social duty of the xxi-century University states the necessity of graduating a professional more and more engaged with public health, and it is very important to take into account an adequate, precocious and fruitful professional motivation to render an optimal medical service (AU).

Apuntes sobre la vida y obra del Dr. Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano / Notes on the life and work of Ph.D. Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano

Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano es considerado como uno de los pediatras más importante de la historia de la medicina cubana, hasta el punto que resulta prácticamente imposible acometer la historia de esta disciplina en nuestro país, sin el estudio profundo de su vida y obra, toda ella dirigida a la defensa de los intereses de la nueva generación, al estado de salud de la niñez, y a luchar por los recursos requeridos para su atención, bienestar y felicidad. Dedicó estudios a las enfermedades diarreicas, a la desnutrición y a la tuberculosis. Para estos fines inauguró el Dispensario Antituberculoso para Niños ¨Calmette¨; el Preventorio ¨Grancher¨ para Lactantes, una sala destinada para niños tuberculosos en el Hospital La Esperanza, y más tarde el Hospital Infantil Antituberculoso, que ostenta hoy su nombre, convertido al triunfo de la Revolución en Hospital Pediátrico General (AU).

Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano is considered one of the most important pediatricians of the Cuban medicine history, up to the point that it is almost impossible to write the history of this discipline in our country without deeply studying his life and work, all of it devoted to the defense of the new generations interests, the childhood health status, and to struggle for obtaining the resources required for their attention, welfare and happiness. He studied diarrheic diseases, malnutrition and tuberculosis. With this aim he inaugurated the Anti-tuberculosis Dispensary for Children Calmette, the Grancvher Preventer for Nursing Infants, a ward for tuberculous children at the hospital La Esperanza and later the Infantile Antituberculous Hospital that today is named after him and after the triumph of the revolution became a General Pediatric Hospital (AU).

Perceptions on item disclosure for the Korean medical licensing examination / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study analyzed the perceptions of medical students and faculty regarding disclosure of test items on the Korean medical licensing examination. METHODS: I conducted a survey of medical students from medical colleges and professional medical schools nationwide. Responses were analyzed from 718 participants as well as 69 faculty members who participated in creating the medical licensing examination item sets. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. RESULTS: It is important to maintain test quality and to keep the test items unavailable to the public. There are also concerns among students that disclosure of test items would prompt increasing difficulty of test items (48.3%). Further, few students found it desirable to disclose test items regardless of any considerations (28.5%). The professors, who had experience in designing the test items, also expressed their opposition to test item disclosure (60.9%). CONCLUSION: It is desirable not to disclose the test items of the Korean medical licensing examination to the public on the condition that students are provided with a sufficient amount of information regarding the examination. This is so that the exam can appropriately identify candidates with the required qualifications.

effect of training of school physicians on their knowledge regarding surveillance in Alexandria

Surveillance is important in schools. Training of school health physicians on surveillance is recommended in order to improve the disease surveillance system. The aim of the current study is to assess the effect of a training program on the knowledge of school physicians regarding surveillance. Seventy school health physicians from all Health lnsurance Organization districts were included in the study. Assessment of their baseline knowledge regarding surveillance was done using a pre-designed self -administered structured questionnaire [pretest]. Accordingly, an intervention program in the form of a workshop was prepared to raise their knowledge regarding surveillance. Within one week after the end of the intervention, assessment of the training program was done using the same data collection tool [post -test]. After the intervention, the percentage of physicians with poor and fair knowledge levels regarding surveillance decreased from 37.4% to 10.4% and from 50.7% to 40.3% respectively, while those with good knowledge level increased from 11.9% to 49.3%. The difference in the mean knowledge score before and after the intervention was statistically significant. ln a multiple linear regression model, two factors significantly affected the school physicians' knowledge score after the intervention. These factors were the total knowledge score before the intervention and the physicians' age. Training of school physicians on disease surveillance affects their level of knowledge regarding surveillance which is essential for planning and evaluation of communicable diseases' prevention and control

Is there need for a transformational change to overcome the current problems with postgraduate medical education in India.

In spite of the existence of a dual system of postgraduation, one under the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the other on a parallel track under the National Board of Examinations, postgraduate medical education in India is beset with several problems. For example, the curriculum has not been revised comprehensively for several decades. The diploma course under the MCI has become unpopular and is largely a temporary refuge for those who do not get admission to degree courses. The level of skills of the outgoing graduate is falling and the increase in the number of seats is taking place in a haphazard manner, without reference to the needs. In spite of increase in seats, there is a shortage of specialists at the secondary and tertiary care levels, especially in medical colleges, to share teaching responsibilities. Further, the distribution of specialists is skewed, with some states having far more than others. To remedy these ills and fulfil the requirements of the country over the next two decades, a working group appointed by the erstwhile governors of the MCI was asked to suggest suitable modifications to the existing postgraduate system. After an extensive review of the lacunae in the present system, the needs at various levels and the pattern of postgraduate education in other countries, it was felt that a competency-based model of a 2-year postgraduate course across all specialties, the use of offsite facilities for training and a criterion-based evaluation system entailing continuous monitoring would go a long way to correct some of the deficiencies of the existing system. The details of the proposal and its merits are outlined for wider discussion and to serve as a feedback to the regulatory agencies engaged in the task of improving the medical education system in India. We feel that the adoption of the proposed system would go a long way in improving career options, increasing the availability of teachers and dissemination of specialists to the secondary and primary levels, and improving the quality of outgoing postgraduates.

Endoscopist Specialty Is Associated with High-Quality Endoscopy in Korea

PURPOSE: The present study was aimed to determine whether endoscopist specialty is associated with high-quality endoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected endoscopy quality related data based on the Endoscopy Quality Rating Scale (EQRS) of 277 endoscopy units in a hospital setting from the National Cancer Screening Program of Korea in 2009. Gastroenterology medical professors (n=154) from university hospitals visited each endoscopy unit and graded the unit according to the EQRS. The scores from the EQRS were analyzed and compared in relation to endoscopy training during residency and endoscopy subspecialist certification. RESULTS: After excluding data from 3 endoscopy units, EQRS data from 274 endoscopy units were analyzed: 263 esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening units and 90 colonoscopy screening units. There were no significant differences in the scores of EQRS with respect to endoscopy training during residency (p=no significance), except for scores of EGDs for "Facility and Equipment" (p=0.030). However, EQRS scores were significantly higher in the endoscopy units where endoscopy subspecialists performed the endoscopies than those where Endoscopy Subspecialists did not perform the endoscopies (p<0.05, except p=0.08 for the "Process" criteria of EGD). CONCLUSION: Endoscopist specialty is an important determinant of high-quality endoscopy in Korea.

Avaliação da associação entre qualificação de médicos e enfermeiros em atenção primária em saúde e qualidade da atenção / Assessment of the association between the qualification of physicians and nurses in primary healthcare and the quality of care

Este estudo objetivou verificar a associação entre os atributos da atenção primária à saúde (APS) e a qualificação profissional de médicos e enfermeiros. Utilizou-se o Instrumento de Avaliação da Atenção Primária, versão infantil (PCATool infantil), com aplicação aos cuidadores das crianças residentes e cadastradas nas áreas das equipes de saúde da família. Os atributos da APS foram avaliados através dos escores aferidos pelos cuidadores. Após análises bivariadas, a associação entre o grau de orientação para a APS e as características socioeconômicas e demográficas, bem como as características profissionais e das unidades de saúde foram verificadas através de ajuste multivariado pela Regressão de Poisson. As equipes onde atuavam profissionais com residência em saúde da família ou residência de medicina de família e comunidade apresentaram escores dos atributos da APS mais elevados do que os escores das equipes onde os profissionais não possuíam tal qualificação. Os autores concluíram que a especialização na modalidade residência de medicina de família e comunidade para médicos e residência em saúde da família enfermeiros apresenta potencialidades para a transformação do modelo de atenção, a partir dos atributos da APS.

This study sought to establish the association between the attributes of primary healthcare (PHC) and the professional qualification of physicians and nurses. For data collection, the child version of the Primary Care Assessment Tool (Child PCA-Tool) was applied to the caregivers of children resident and registered in the areas covered by the family health teams. The attributes of PHC were evaluated using the scores of the caregivers in the test. After bivariate analysis, seeking an association between the degree of orientation to the PHC and the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, as well as the professional characteristics of the health units, a multivariate model was established using Poisson regression. The teams in which there were professionals with residence in family health or family and community medicine achieved higher scores than those in which the professionals did not have this qualification. The authors concluded that specialization in residence in family and community medicine for physicians, and residence in family health for nurses, have higher potential for the transformation of the care model, based on the attributes of the PHC.