Development and Implementation of a Peer-Teaching Curriculum for Student Assistants.

We have developed a peer-teaching program for student assistants involved in medical education. The offer comprises (1) an inventory of potentially relevant courses offered by other institutions at our university and (2) our own peer-teaching curriculum on pedagogy and teaching methodology. We describe a pilot scheme to implement the curriculum.

Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program on Knowledge of Anaemic Adolescent Girls, Uttarakhand

@#Introduction: Anaemia in India is still a point of concern when it comes to adolescent girls. Adolescent girls are more prone to develop anaemia if they lack knowledge on how to manage the menace of anaemia in adolescence. The study was conducted to identify the prevalence of anaemia in adolescent girls and assess the effectiveness of teaching program on knowledge regarding prevention of anaemia in adolescent girls. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. First phase adopted exploratory survey design and second phase involved one group pre-test post-test design. The sample consisted of 400 adolescent girls (13 – 15) years studying in rural schools of Haldwani block, Uttarakhand. Results: The study results revealed that about 90 (22.5%) adolescent girls were anaemic. Maximum 64 (71%) adolescent girls had average knowledge regarding anaemia and its prevention. There was 11% enhancement in the level of knowledge of anaemic adolescent girls post administration of teaching program and was significant at 0.05 level. Conclusion: The present study found that there was significant enhancement in the level of knowledge of adolescent girls in the post-test. Thus, it emphasizes the need to educate the adolescent girls regarding dietary choices they make so that it may help in reducing prevalence of anaemia in later ages of life in young girls of India.

A Pre-experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Program on Knowledge and Expressed Practices Regarding Selected Obstetrical Emergencies Among Staff Nurses in Selected Hospitals of Shimla District, Himachal Pradesh.

Background and objective Good health and well-being occupy the third position among 17 sustainable development goals designed by the United Nations. The key to reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality is competent and skilled birth attendance. The objectives of this study were to assess and compare the pre-test and post-test knowledge and expressed practices regarding selected obstetrical emergencies among staff nurses; to develop and determine the effectiveness of planned teaching programs on selected obstetrical emergencies among staff nurses; and to find out the correlation between knowledge and expressed practices regarding selected obstetrical emergencies. Materials and methods A pre-experimental study was conducted for a period of one month in 2019 among 60 staff nurses in selected hospitals through a validated tool/questionnaire, which was piloted on six staff nurses prior to starting the study. Data were collected using a structured knowledge questionnaire and expressed practices checklist. Results Of note, 70% of participants had General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) as a professional qualification. The majority (51.7%) had one to five years of work experience; 46.7% of staff nurses had good knowledge in the pre-test assessment and 95% had good knowledge in the post-test evaluation. Significantly, 80% showed good expressed practices in the pre-test and 96.7% revealed good expressed practices in the post-test regarding selected obstetrical emergencies. In the pre-test, there was a significant association between the sociodemographic variables (age and work experience) with expressed practices, while that was not the case with post-test expressed practices. No significant association was found between pre- and post-test knowledge and selected demographic variables. There was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge and expressed practices score (mean pre- and post-test knowledge score: 18.82 vs. 25.43, p<0.001; mean pre- and post-test expressed practices score: 14.43 vs. 16.30, p<0.001). Conclusion Based on our findings, the planned teaching program is effective in improving the knowledge and expressed practices of staff nurses regarding selected obstetrical emergencies.

Peer Observation of Teaching Program for the Busy Hospitalist.

BACKGROUND: Peer observation of teaching (POT) is a well-documented faculty development tool, but published research focuses mostly on programs in which participating physicians had protected time in their schedule in which to complete observations. Most programs nationally depend on hospitalists who have minimal, if any, protected time in their schedule and thus in order to complete these observations, will need to figure out a way to schedule these into their regular working day. Objective: We determined whether a POT program, focused on hospitalists with minimal non-clinical time, scheduled around clinical responsibilities, could be feasible and acceptable. METHODS: Seven hospitalists participated in a POT pilot program from January 2019 to June 2019. Each hospitalist completed three 30-minute observations during this interval. At the completion of the pilot, the hospitalists were surveyed on their experience and results were assessed via open-ended narrative questions, which underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: Twenty of the 21 scheduled observations (95%) were completed. Of the completed observations, 100% were completed while the observer was assigned to concomitant clinical duties. The survey response rate was 100%. From free-text responses, the following themes emerged: (1) Acceptable time commitment with minor inconvenience, (2) learning through observing and reflecting for personal growth, and (3) stress-free peer observations. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the successful development and implementation of a POT program that served as a faculty development initiative focused primarily on hospitalists with minimal protected time.

Sensitizing the medical undergraduates to qualitative research: In the context of experiential learning debriefings.

BACKGROUND: The role of medical undergraduates is limited while interacting with the community related to issues involving human behavior. Since qualitative research seeks to build a holistic understanding of social phenomena, we designed this project to expose them to the basics of qualitative research in a real-world setting of experiential learning. The aim of this study is to sensitize the medical undergraduates to the basics of qualitative research and able to apply it in the context of experiential learning in the community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this current educational intervention, a structured teaching program was designed and applied for the first time, to our students to effectively sensitize them to qualitative research in a natural community setting, intended to provide them a solid base for experiential learning. A batch of students (n = 50) was selected by convenient sampling method who had their clinical postings with us. At first, a "session planning guide" was drawn on the plan of conduction of this program. We followed the "facilitators reference manual by research consortium on educational outcomes and poverty (RECOUP) for our teaching sessions. The framework of our study was executed in the following sequence: sensitization of the learners, exposure to structured quality experience, systematic debriefing sessions with evaluation of learner experiences, and the process and outcome feedbacks from the learners. The students were monitored by trained facilitators. The various study tools used in the structured teaching program included, the teaching sessions using the RECOUP manual, didactic lectures and short group interactive sessions to teach qualitative research and photographs and video clips to facilitate the sessions, mock demonstrations and role plays on interviewing techniques, use of case vignettes on the theme "perception of psychosis" for interviewing the community, structured debriefing guide, and various self-reflective exercises. Learners' perspective of community perception, debriefing sessions, and self-reflective responses were transcribed, and manual content analysis was done to identify the codes and interpret the results. RESULTS: Majority could appreciate the uniqueness of qualitative research over the quantitative counterpart. They could enumerate the attributes of a good qualitative researcher. The debriefing exercises made them summarize their experiences and the self-reflective exercises enabled them to identify their abilities and critique their ideas. It was a different experience to our learners as they could identify themselves with the sentiments of the community. To them, the facilitating points were the interviewing skills and confidence gained in facing the community. However, they felt time constraint for exploring the sensitive issues during the fixed posting schedule. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of learning beyond the boundaries of a classroom setting sensitized them to various community perceptions and reactions. The students perceived the qualitative methods well and could apply the lessons learnt in the facility. They also felt that this learning exposure gave them community orientation and confidence in dealing with community issues.

Perioperative outcomes of transurethral resection for t1 bladder tumors: quality evaluation based on patient, tumor and surgeon criteria.

INTRODUCTION: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is a fundamental but challenging step in the diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The first- and second-look TURBT are central in the management of T1 tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients treated with TURBT for T1 urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the bladder in one academic institution between 2007 and 2017. Quality of TURBT was evaluated based on the presence/absence of muscle on pathology report, the presence/absence of residual tumor on the second look and the occurrence of complications. Patient-, surgeon- and tumor-related factors were investigated for their association with TURBT quality. RESULTS: 283 patients were included. Second-look resection was performed after a mean delay of 54 days. Muscle was observed in 85.9% of the samples on the first TURBT. On the second-look resection, UCC was observed in 52.3% of the samples. 38 complications were reported after the first TURBT (13.4%). Surgeon's experience was the only factor significantly associated with occurrence of post-operative complications (OR = 0.40; p = 0.04). Location of the tumor at the bottom of the bladder was a risk factor for not finding muscle at pathological analysis (OR = 0.20; p = 0.06). Male gender, multiplicity and tumor located at the bottom of the bladder were significantly associated with residual disease on reTURBT. In multivariate analysis, only male gender (OR = 4.71; p = 0.02) and tumor multiplicity remained significant (OR for unique tumor = 0.36; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: TURBT is a challenging procedure and surgeon's experience is crucial in reducing the rate of post-operative complications. Technical difficulties resulting from patient's gender, tumor location or number of tumors may be as important as oncological factors in deciding whether or not to perform a second-look resection.

Revisión sistemática sobre los instrumentos para medir las competencias investigativas en la educación médica superior / Systematic review of the instruments for measuring research skills in higher medical education

Introducción: Las competencias investigativas pueden mejorar las habilidades profesionales del personal en las ciencias de la salud al exponerlos a las prácticas más actualizadas. Su evaluación a través de instrumentos de medición es parte del proceso formativo en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje universitario y profesional. Objetivo: Explorar los instrumentos de medición que se han desarrollado en las ciencias de la salud para valorar las competencias investigativas de forma cuantitativa. Material y Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda exhaustiva de la temática en revistas científicas de las bases de datos: MEDLINE (vía PubMed), Scopus, Google académico, ScienceDirect, Redalyc y SciELO desde los últimos diez años: 2009 (enero) hasta diciembre de 2019. Resultados: La búsqueda encontró 14 artículos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, siete de los cuales fueron aplicados en estudiantes universitarios y los otros en egresados (graduados y docentes). La mayoría de los estudios se realizaron en el campo de la Enfermería. Tres artículos tuvieron un diseño de validación de instrumentos, un estudio tuvo un diseño cuasiexperimental mientras que los demás presentaron un diseño descriptivo transversal. Todos los instrumentos fueron escalas y presentaron categorías del tipo ordinal-Likert. Conclusiones: El desarrollo de competencias investigativas resulta importante para el sector universitario y profesional; la revisión encontró pocos estudios que valoraron las competencias investigativas a través de instrumentos de medición. Tres estudios presentaron las propiedades métricas de los instrumentos por lo que podrían ser replicados o traducidos para su aplicación en distintos contextos de las ciencias de la salud(AU)

Background: Research skills can improve the professional skills of the staff of health sciences by exposing them to the most up-to-date practices. Its evaluation through measuring instruments is part of the training process in university and professional teaching-learning environments. Objective: To analyze the measuring instruments that have been developed in the health sciences to assess research competencies in a quantitative way. Material and Methods: A comprehensive search on the topic was carried out in scientific journals of databases such as MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Redalyc and SciELO over the last ten years (from January 2009 to December 2019). Results: The search identified 14 articles that met the inclusion criteria; seven of them were applied to university students while the others were applied to graduates (graduates and teachers). Most studies were performed in the field of Nursing. Three articles had the design of a validation of instruments; one study had a quasi-experimental design while the others presented a descriptive cross-sectional design. All the instruments used scales and presented categories of Likert-type scales. Conclusions: We conclude that the development of research skills is important for the university and professional sector. The review identified few studies that assessed research skills through measuring instruments. Three studies presented the metric properties of the instruments so they could be replicated and / or translated for their application in different healthcare contexts(AU)

Avaliação de um programa informatizado para promoção do repertório de ler com compreensão / Evaluation of a computerized program for the development of a reading comprehension repertoire

A leitura está presente em várias situações do cotidiano, como na aquisição de conteúdos acadêmicos e em situações práticas do dia-a-dia, portanto, quem a compreende apresenta maior autonomia para interagir com o ambiente. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficiência do Módulo 3, parte do Currículo de Ensino "Aprendendo a ler e a escrever em pequenos passos", na promoção da leitura com compreensão e da fluência de leitura. O Módulo 3 era composto por 15 livros com a finalidade de promover comportamentos de identificar fatos explícitos nos textos, fazer inferências, identificar o tema da história e aprender vocabulário contextual. Participaram do estudo 11 crianças do ensino fundamental, separadas em grupo controle e experimental. Foram utilizadas medidas de compreensão textual e de fluência de leitura antes e após o procedimento de ensino, as quais foram analisadas com o programa estatístico R Core Team. Foi demonstrado aumento significativo na medida de compreensão de textos para as crianças do grupo experimental, quando comparados os resultados com o grupo controle. Sobre a fluência de leitura, não houve diferença significativa entre as medidas na comparação entre os grupos, entretanto o grupo experimental apresentou aumento significativo da medida quando comparado com ele mesmo.

Reading is present in many situations of our everyday life such as in the acquisition of academic contents and in our daily practical situations; however, those who understand it shows more autonomy to interact with the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of Module 3, part of the Teaching Curriculum "Learning to read and write in small steps", towards the improvement of the reading comprehension and reading fluency. Module 3 includes 15 books with the objective to promote the identification of explicit facts in the texts, to make inferences, to identify the theme of the story and to learn contextual vocabulary. Eleven elementary school children participated in the study divided into a control group and an experimental group. The study adopted text comprehension reading fluency measures before and after the teaching procedure, analyzed by the R Core Team statistical program. Results showed significant increase in the text comprehension measure for children from the experimental group when compared to the results from the control group. In regards to reading fluency, there was no significant difference between the comparative measures between the groups; however, the experimental group showed significant increase in this measure, when compared to itself.

Effect of Planned Teaching Program Regarding Knowledge on Detection and Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage among B. Sc. Nursing Students in Selected Nursing Colleges, Guwahati, Assam.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality. According to the World Health Organization, PPH accounts for 127,000 deaths annually out of which India accounted for over 20% in 2015. Health-care professionals, especially the nurse, should play an important role in detection and prevention of PPH. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of planned teaching program regarding knowledge on detection and prevention of PPH among B. Sc. Nursing students. METHODOLOGY: With an evaluative approach, one group of sixty B. Sc. Nursing 4th-year students were selected and pre- and posttest design was adopted for the study. RESULTS: The study revealed that the mean posttest knowledge score (17.27) was higher than the mean pretest knowledge score (8.92). The calculated t59 = 25.2 was significant at P < 0.05, thus the planned teaching program was effective. There was no significant association between the pretest level of knowledge score with the selected demographic variables, i.e., age, previous clinical exposure with PPH mother, and previous source of information on PPH. CONCLUSION: The present study concluded that the planned teaching program on detection and prevention of PPH was effective in improving the knowledge of the B. Sc. Nursing students.

Educational initiatives and implementation of electroencephalography into the acute care environment: a protocol of a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Use of electroencephalography (EEG) is currently recommended by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society for a wide range of indications, including diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus and evaluation of unexplained disorders of consciousness. Data interpretation usually occurs by expert personnel (e.g., epileptologists, neurophysiologists), with information relayed to the primary care team. However, data cannot always be read in time-sensitive fashion, leading to potential delays in EEG interpretation and patient management. Multiple training programs have recently been described to enable non-experts to rapidly interpret EEG at the bedside. A comprehensive review of these training programs, including the tools used, outcomes obtained, and potential pitfalls, is currently lacking. Therefore, the optimum training program and implementation strategy remain unknown. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic review of descriptive studies, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials assessing training programs for EEG interpretation by non-experts. Our primary objective is to comprehensively review educational programs in this domain and report their structure, patterns of implementation, limitations, and trainee feedback. Our secondary objective will be to compare the performance of non-experts for EEG interpretation with a gold standard (e.g., interpretation by a certified electroencephalographers). Studies will be limited to those performed in acute care settings in both adult and pediatric populations (intensive care unit, emergency department, or post-anesthesia care units). Comprehensive search strategies will be developed for MEDLINE, EMBASE, WoS, CINAHL, and CENTRAL to identify studies for review. The gray literature will be scanned for further eligible studies. Two reviewers will independently screen the search results to identify studies for inclusion. A standardized data extraction form will be used to collect important data from each study. If possible, we will attempt to meta-analyze the quantitative data. If heterogeneity between studies is too high, we will present meaningful quantitative comparisons of secondary outcomes as per the synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) reporting guidelines. DISCUSSION: We will aim to summarize the current literature in this domain to understand the structure, patterns, and pitfalls of EEG training programs for non-experts. This review is undertaken with a view to inform future education designs, potentially enabling rapid detection of EEG abnormalities, and timely intervention by the treating physician. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: Submitted and undergoing review. Registration ID: CRD42020171208 .

Impact of planned teaching program on the attitude of nurses with regard to patient rights in two multispecialty teaching hospitals in India.

BACKGROUND: The attitude of nurses with regard to patients' rights bears greater influence on its practice in the health-care settings. As health-care organizations grow toward standardization, positive changes in the attitude of health-care professionals are demanding. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the attitude of nurses with regard to patient rights in two teaching hospitals, to devise a training program on patient rights for nurses, and to compare the impact of training with regard to patient rights on the attitude of nurses in two teaching hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study with one-group pre- and post-test research design for a sample of 200 nurses was carried out during the year 2017 at two multispecialty hospitals in India. The sample size was selected based on convenience sampling method. For the pretest, attitude was measured on a 5-point Likert scale through a questionnaire containing 27 items. Small-group teaching method was used to train nurses in groups of 8-10. Posttest was done through the same attitude questionnaire 1 week after the training program. RESULTS: In both the hospitals, the nurses had a favorable attitude toward patient rights before the training program; after training, majority of the nurses had the most favorable attitude toward patient rights. A statistically significant difference was observed in the attitude of nurses with regard to patient rights within the hospitals, before and after training nurses on patient rights (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health-care organizations require developing planned teaching programs for nursing care professionals in order to influence their knowledge and attitude on patient rights. Their positive attitude toward patient rights leads to improved outcomes and effective nursing care practices.

The value of andrology medical-surgical training programs for Urology residents. / Importancia de la formación médico-quirúrgica andrológica para los residentes de Urología.

Nowadays, sub-specialty expertise in andrology is required within the Urology training program. These practices -during the MIR (Medical Intern Residency) program and once the specialty studies are over- should be performed under supervision and have a multidisciplinary nature. In fact, the urologist's andrology training program does not finish with his residency period. The unceasingly increasing knowledge related to infertility, reproduction, sexual medicine and reconstructive surgery require a high level of dedication and engagement with continuing education. The field of Andrology has evolved significantly in Europe and in the United States in the past 30 years. Although the andrology training programs in these 2regions share some common aspects, there are also substantial differences between them. This chapter includes a review of the Spanish training programs and those in our international environment, with the objective to comprehend the importance of andrology medical-surgical training for Urology residents.

Description of an initiation program to robotic in vivo gynecological surgery for junior surgeons.

INTRODUCTION: Most gynecological residents or junior surgeons do not practice nor experience robotic surgery due to lack of access during residency or poor knowledge about this growing surgical technology. This study evaluated the feasibility and safety of a 3-half-day experiencing and training session for robot-assisted gynecological surgery designed for residents and fellows. MATERIEL AND METHODS: This is a prospective, single-center observational study about a training course aimed at residents or fellows at the university teaching hospital of Limoges (France). It spreads over three consecutive half-days: one dedicated to simulation exercises involving the Da Vinci Skills Simulator© and the other two, to practice in two robot-assisted procedures with dual-console equipment supervised by a senior surgeon (as it is usually performed in a university teaching hospital). Complications during surgery, patient's medical records as well as the participants' performances during in vivo suturing acts were gathered. Feedback on the session was obtained with a questionnaire at the end of the course. RESULTS: Twelve sessions involving 24 patients operated on by 34 trainees from 16 different teaching university hospitals across the country took place. No conversion to laparotomy nor any major peri- or post-operative complication was reported. Time for stitching decreased significantly (p=.016) between the first and the second in vivo surgery. Use of the dual console was found helpful and most attendees (96.8%) would recommend this training session. CONCLUSION: We showed this training course with both simulation and in vivo surgery was feasible, safe and was a well-liked initiation program for robotic surgery.

Effectiveness of planned teaching program among primary school teachers regarding awareness of learning disabilities in children.

PURPOSE: To assess the awareness of learning disabilities of children before and after the planned teaching program among primary school teachers. RESEARCH DESIGN: A pre-experimental, nonrandomized, one group pretest and post-test design were used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The accessible populations were all teachers working in private primary schools at Montfort Matriculation School, Chennai. Purposive sample technique was used to select the 40 samples. The instrument consisted of two sections-Part-I: demographical variables, Part-II: awareness questionnaire on learning disabilities in children. The collected data were grouped and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics and a paired t-test was used to determine the difference between pretest and post-test in the group. RESULT: The study indicates that the majority of the primary school teachers had inadequate awareness regarding learning disabilities and 10% had moderate level of awareness, whereas in the post-test, 7.5% had moderate level of awareness and 92.5% had adequate level of awareness. There was a significant association between awareness of learning disabilities among primary school teachers. CONCLUSION: The planned teaching program is an effective method in enhancing the awareness of primary school teachers regarding the care of awareness of learning disabilities.

Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Program on Knowledge Regarding Home Care Management of Children with Hydrocephalus and Shunt among their Parents.

BACKGROUND: Parents of children with hydrocephalus play a crucial role in recognizing the early signs of shunt-related complications and to prevent morbidity and mortality. AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention among the parents of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative, quasi-experimental one group pretest-posttest design was used for the study. Twenty parents of children (<5 years) with ventricular shunt were selected by non-probability convenience sampling technique from pediatric neurosurgery outpatient department of tertiary care hospital, Kerala, India. Tool 1 was used to assess the demographic and clinical variables of the sample and the child and tool 2 was the structured knowledge questionnaire on home care management of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. RESULTS: The difference in the mean pretest-posttest knowledge score was statistically significant at P < 0.01. There was a significant association between the mean knowledge score of the sample and the age of the mother, the age of the mother at pregnancy, and the previous knowledge from various sources. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the parent-centered education was effective in improving the knowledge of parents regarding care of children with hydrocephalus and shunt. It helps them to extend the care of these children from hospital to home and hence improve their quality of life.

Epilepsy: a cross-sectional study of paediatricians and general practitioners on their experiences, knowledge and handling of the disease.

Epilepsy is a life-changing disease, and patients with epilepsy may face a number of issues. Paediatricians and general practitioners are often the first to be asked for advice. This cross-sectional study was performed to gain information on the knowledge and experiences of paediatricians and general practitioners on epilepsy. From September 2015 to July 2017, paediatricians and general practitioners in Leipzig, Germany, were asked to take part in a face-to-face interview. Overall, 40 paediatricians and 60 general practitioners participated in the study. A total of 99/100 (99%) kept emergency medication available and 96/100 (96%) would administer it during a seizure. Also, 40/40 (100%) of the paediatricians and 34/60 (57%) of the general practitioners recommended that non-professionals should administer emergency medication, and 18/40 (45%) of the paediatricians and 35/60 (58%) of the general practitioners would put an object in the patient's mouth during a seizure. With regards to safety precautions, paediatricians mentioned the risks associated with swimming (30/40; 75%) and the potential of falling from a height (23/40; 58%), whereas general practitioners focused on being around vehicles including driving regulations (43/60; 72%). Only 5/60 (8%) of the general practitioners advised that precautions should be taken during swimming. Fatigue/exhaustion was the most common adverse drug event associated with long-term anticonvulsive therapy mentioned by paediatricians (13/40; 33%) and general practitioners (27/60; 45%). Of all the participants, 23/100 (23%) recommended epilepsy training programmes for patients and families, however, none were able to name a specific programme. Nearly half of the general practitioners did not recommend the use of rescue medication by non-professionals. This measure, however, can prevent the occurrence of prolonged non-treatable seizures. Both paediatricians and general practitioners should bear in mind that placing an object in the mouth during a seizure should be avoided due to the risk of additional injury. To reduce the risk of drowning, physicians should recommend safety precautions during swimming. Information on epilepsy training programmes for patients and families should be diffused to all physicians taking care of patients with epilepsy.

Peer-assisted teaching method to foster learning physiological basis of electrocardiography among 1st year medical graduate students: An interventional study.

INTRODUCTION: In peer-assisted teaching (PAT) method, students are encouraged to prepare, organize, and construct their learning program under the guidance of a teacher. The objective of the present study is to assess the benefits and outcome of PAT on students' understanding and knowledge of one of the important and difficult topics, "physiological basis of electrocardiography (ECG)." METHODS: A nonrandomized, interventional study was carried out in the department of physiology. Five peer tutors were selected and trained in the basics of ECG by a senior faculty of physiology for 12-14 h sessions over the 6-week period. These peer tutors then conducted a day-long workshop on five different subtopics of ECG, which was attended by 184 1st year medical students. Evaluation of the workshop was done through pre/posttest 20-item questionnaire score analysis and feedback questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale items. RESULTS: The average pre- and posttest scores were 6.6 ± 2.73 and 13.3 ± 4.73, respectively. The average posttest scores were higher and statistically significant compared to pretest (R 2= 0.4275; P < 0.05). The class average normalized gain (g) for a posttest score was 101.5%. Of 184 students, 9.7% of students had >70% improvement from the pretest score, and 44.78% had more than 50% improvement in their posttest scores. CONCLUSION: We received a predominantly positive feedback for the usefulness of peer teaching as a learning method. Thus, PAT was found to be a feasible and effective way of teaching the difficult concepts in physiology.

Cultural Competences Gained Through an Education Program as Ethnic Patient Coordinator: A Qualitative Study.

INTRODUCTION: Studies have shown that health care professionals lack cultural knowledge and cultural competences in the care of patients with a minority background. The aim of this study was to explore whether a cultural teaching program, the so-called ethnic patient coordinator program, had an impact on health professionals' self-perceived clinical competences in the encounter with the minority patient. METHODOLOGY: The study was designed as a qualitative study using participant observation and semistructured interviews with a practice-led research approach. In total, 30 health professionals participated in the program. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: The coordinators described that they had learned to focus systematically on reducing language barriers and to overcome prejudices. Their new competences not only had a direct influence on patient-related practical skills but also affected the practice culture and their colleagues' approach to vulnerable patients with a minority background. Conclusion/Implication: The presence of an ethnic patient coordinator team may give rise to a more migrant-friendly and culturally competent hospital.

How to design and deliver a local teaching program.

Teaching is an invaluable aspect of any medical or surgical career. Many trainees will find themselves delivering teaching at several stages in their career and in this "How to" article we explain how to design, set up, and deliver a successful teaching program, as well as how to evidence this in your portfolio.

Effectiveness of a structured teaching program (STP) on cessation of tobacco chewing, on knowledge and attitude among female hospital housekeeping personnel - a pilot study.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured teaching program (STP) on: a) improving knowledge of female hospital housekeeping personnel regarding harmful impact of tobacco chewing and how to quit, and b) fostering an unfavorable attitude toward tobacco chewing. METHODS: The STP focused on adverse health effects of tobacco chewing, myths and facts, and tobacco cessation. It was administered in regional language to female hospital housekeeping personnel (N=35) over three days. Post-assessments were conducted at 4 weeks following the last session of the STP. RESULTS: Current tobacco use was reported by 26% of the sample. Tobacco chewers (vs. non-chewers) were more likely to be significantly older, have elementary education, belong to nuclear family, have lesser knowledge regarding harmful effects, and have a more favorable attitude toward the practice of tobacco chewing. At the end of 4 weeks following the STP, participants significantly improved their knowledge regarding the harmful health impact of tobacco chewing and how to quit (p=0.001), and showed a significantly less favorable attitude toward tobacco chewing (p=0.001). Change in participants' knowledge scores was found to be negatively correlated with change in attitude scores, implying that increase in knowledge was associated with less favorable attitude toward tobacco chewing (r=-0.427, p=0.011). CONCLUSION: Findings provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of health education on harmful impact of tobacco chewing and how to quit, delivered through a STP, in improving knowledge and fostering an unfavorable attitude toward tobacco chewing, among female hospital housekeeping personnel.