ABSTRACT
Background: Instant messaging applications for mobile phones have recently grown in popularity among medical personnel, including both physicians and medical students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education was largely transferred to virtual platforms, making such applications an increasingly important tool for medical education. "Siilo" is a secure instant messaging application that was designed for medical professionals, and offers several advantages over other instant messaging services that are vital for its use in medical settings, including information security, data encryption, and a built-in blurring tool to maintain patient privacy. In addition, Siilo allows for the creation of individual folders for each case, enabling users to conduct separate discussions about multiple patients simultaneously. Objective: To evaluate student satisfaction in a case-based learning program using Siilo as a medical education tool in improving student learning outcomes and motivation. Methods: A case-based learning program was conducted with 24 fifth-year medical students using Siilo to evaluate its effectiveness as a medical education tool. The program was evaluated through the use of pre- and post-program questionnaires and focus group discussions to assess student satisfaction. Results: The majority of students (83.3%) were highly satisfied with the Siilo platform and felt that it enhanced their learning experience, and a majority of students (79.1%) reported that the program was highly effective. Students reported that the platform was easy to use and provided a clear and organized way to follow discussions about cases. The focus group discussions further revealed that students appreciated the real-time communication and felt that the use of Siilo helped to improve the quality of communication and collaboration during the learning process. The use of Siilo as a medical education tool was found to contribute to positive relationships between doctors and students and improve student motivation for learning and outcomes. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Siilo can be a valuable resource for medical education, particularly due to its secure and convenient features, which are well-suited for use in medical settings. The use of Siilo in a case-based learning program was found to be effective in improving student satisfaction and learning outcomes and contributed to positive relationships between doctors and students. These results highlight the potential for utilizing mobile instant messaging apps as a tool for enhancing clinical teaching in medical education.
ABSTRACT
Background Instant messaging applications for mobile phones have recently grown in popularity among medical personnel, including both physicians and medical students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education was largely transferred to virtual platforms, making such applications an increasingly important tool for medical education. "Siilo” is a secure instant messaging application that was designed for medical professionals, and offers several advantages over other instant messaging services that are vital for its use in medical settings, including information security, data encryption, and a built-in blurring tool to maintain patient privacy. In addition, Siilo allows for the creation of individual folders for each case, enabling users to conduct separate discussions about multiple patients simultaneously. Objective To evaluate student satisfaction in a case-based learning program using Siilo as a medical education tool in improving student learning outcomes and motivation. Methods A case-based learning program was conducted with 24 fifth-year medical students using Siilo to evaluate its effectiveness as a medical education tool. The program was evaluated through the use of pre- and post-program questionnaires and focus group discussions to assess student satisfaction. Results The majority of students (83.3%) were highly satisfied with the Siilo platform and felt that it enhanced their learning experience, and a majority of students (79.1%) reported that the program was highly effective. Students reported that the platform was easy to use and provided a clear and organized way to follow discussions about cases. The focus group discussions further revealed that students appreciated the real-time communication and felt that the use of Siilo helped to improve the quality of communication and collaboration during the learning process. The use of Siilo as a medical education tool was found to contribute to positive relationships between doctors and students and improve student motivation for learning and outcomes. Conclusion These findings suggest that Siilo can be a valuable resource for medical education, particularly due to its secure and convenient features, which are well-suited for use in medical settings. The use of Siilo in a case-based learning program was found to be effective in improving student satisfaction and learning outcomes and contributed to positive relationships between doctors and students. These results highlight the potential for utilizing mobile instant messaging apps as a tool for enhancing clinical teaching in medical education.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic spreads worldwide, causing devastating consequences. BioNTech and Pfizer's BNT162b2 vaccine was one of the first vaccines to receive emergency-use authorization. However, its impact on women's fertility has not been primarily assessed leading to spread of unfounded rumors, causing vaccine hesitancy. We investigate the possible impact of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: We compared data from 42 women undergoing their first IVF following 2 doses of BNT162b2 vaccination to 42 unvaccinated women undergoing their first IVF. The first outcome consisted of the pregnancy based on first hCG value; secondary outcomes were IVF cycle outcomes. A second analysis was done on 29 paired patients from both groups based on age, FSH, and the indication for IVF. RESULTS: We report different levels of the pregnancy formation; oocyte's development: numbers of oocytes retrieved (9.3±6.8 vs. 11.5 ± 7.9, p=0.19) and matured (6.9±4.8 vs. 9.1 ± 6.6, p=0.14), and embryonal stage: fertilization rates (64.1±26.6 vs. 66.3±23.3, p=0.14), the quantity (4.3 ± 3.2 vs. 5.7±4.4, p=0.23) and qualities of embryos (good/fair/poor) at day 3 were comparable. The analysis showed no significant difference between the groups, and the odds for pregnancy were similar (OR=0.9, 95% CL[0.3-2.8] p.value 0.833). CONCLUSIONS: From our results, this vaccine does not affect IVF performance and outcomes from the early stage of oocyte development through to the early beginning of pregnancy; therefore, it seems that the BNT162b2 vaccine does not compromise women's fertility.
ABSTRACT
RESEARCH QUESTION: Does the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine affect sperm parameters of patients with a normal or an abnormal semen analysis? DESIGN: Data were collected from male patients undergoing IVF treatment after completing vaccination between February 2021 and June 2021 (post-vaccine). For comparison, records of the same patients were reviewed before the vaccination (pre-vaccine) back to January 2017. Patients with azoospermia were excluded. Sperm parameters were compared between pre- and post-vaccine groups. Each patient served as self-control. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were included in the study (median interquartile range [IQR] age 35.7 [33.0-43.0] years), of whom 57 had a normal semen analysis. The time between the first vaccine and the post-vaccine sperm analysis was 71.0 (40.5-104.8) days. The sperm parameters before and after the vaccination were as follows: sperm volume before 3.0 (2.0-4.0) and after 3.0 (1.6-3.9) ml, Pâ¯=â¯0.02; sperm concentration before 26.5 (14.0-64.7) and after 31.0 (14.2-80.0) 106/ml, Pâ¯=â¯0.35; and total motile sperm count before 33.7 (9.0-66.0) and after 29 (6.0-97.5)106, Pâ¯=â¯0.96. Sub-group analyses were conducted for patients with male infertility and patients with a normal semen analysis. Neither of the sub-groups showed significant changes after vaccination. CONCLUSION: Sperm parameters showed no significant changes after vaccination among men with a normal and abnormal semen analysis. Therefore, the BNT162b2 vaccine does not seem to affect sperm parameters. The preliminary results are reassuring for the entire global population, currently undergoing intense vaccination campaigns against COVID-19.