Is present pharmacy education adapted to needs? Survey results from young practitioner views regarding pharmacy education outcome towards a national reform in Hungary.

Background: The pharmacist career is constantly adapting to societal and health care needs. The past decade has seen a growing demand for curricular development to align graduation outcome with workforce competencies. Objective: This study aims to identify expectations for both didactic and experiential components of a new curriculum based on young pharmacist practitioner views. Methods: An online survey questionnaire was used in 2019-2020 to evaluate the pharmacy curriculum to detect indicators or key areas which require comprehensive reform. Results: The predominant majority of the 205 study participants recommended reduction in credit hours for Natural Sciences (78.54%) and a similar increase in the Theoretical and Practical Expertise Module (77.9%). Pharmaceutical care, clinical therapeutics and clinical pharmacy competencies should also be more highlighted in the program. Findings indicate the current training does not prepare for problem-solving and daily workplace challenges (72.7%) or for extended pharmacist skills and competencies (71.71%). Results show inconsistency in practical training experience, as all respondents participated in practical training for drug manufacturing and analysis but 61.0% reported no hands-on skills training in a hospital-clinical simulation setting. Indications for practitioner involvement into the natural sciences and biomedical subjects (86.3%) confirm the obvious need for more practice-oriented education. Conclusions: Educational reforms seem to be inevitable to achieve measurable improvement in professional practice and skills competency. The country specific demand for a needs-based pharmacy education reflects global trends but may also provide useful insights for individual transitions to transform education through practice and improve practice through education.

[The Hungarian translation and validation of the Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire]. / Egy deréktáji fájdalommal kapcsolatos betegségspecifikus tudást felméro külföldi kérdoív hazai, magyar nyelvu validálása.

Introduction: Many disease-specific questionnaires, which analyze patients' functional status, quality of life or the progression of the disease, have been validated in Hungarian. The low back pain (LBP) patients' knowledge about their problem has not been measured by an officially validated Hungarian tool. Aim: The aim of our study was to translate and validate the Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire (LKQ) and to assess its validity and reliability. Method: We used the translation-back translation method as the first step. Then we used a synthesis of the back translations reviewed by independent translators. We enrolled 218 people in our study: 101 of them were chronic LBP patients and 73 acute LBP patients. For the validation process, we used the Roland-Morris Disability Index to compare our questionnaire. We calculated Cronbach's alpha values and correlation coefficients. Results: The Hungarian version of LKQ correlated well with the Roland-Morris Index and it proved to be a valid questionnaire (correlation coefficient: -0.393; Cronbach's alpha value 0.894). Conclusion: We found the Hungarian version of LKQ a valid and reliable tool to measure patients' knowledge about LBP. We recommend future studies should apply bigger and more homogenous populations to assess LBP disease-specific knowledge in this country. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(42): 1663-1672.

Benefits of Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) specialized training on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This study aimed at investigating the perceived benefits of Transplant Procurement Management training programs on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online survey was developed in 5 languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese) and its link was emailed to 6839 individuals. They were asked to forward it to other professionals in organ donation and transplantation. The link was also shared on Facebook and at relevant congresses. Two research questions on the perceived influence of specialized training programs were identified. RESULTS: A total of 1102 participants (16.1%) took the survey; 87% reported participating in Transplant Procurement Management training programs, of which 95% selected Transplant Procurement Management courses as the most influential training they had participated in. For research question one, 98% reported influence on knowledge (score 4.5 [out of 5]), 93% on technical (4.2) and communication skills (4.1), 89% on attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (4.1), 92% on motivation to work (4.2), 91% on desire to innovate (4.0), 87% and 79% on ability to change organ donation and trans plantation practices (3.9) and policies (3.5). For research question 2, main and interaction effects for position at the time of training and type of training were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Transplant Procurement Management training programs had positive perceived effects.

Effect of an educational intervention on Hungarian adolescents' awareness, beliefs and attitudes on the prevention of cervical cancer.

The alarming national data on the mortality and morbidity rates of cervical cancer as well as the results of a Hungarian survey demonstrating adolescents' low level of understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV vaccination encouraged the authors to conduct an educational intervention. The aim of this survey was to explore the impact of a brief, HPV-focused program on adolescents' knowledge, beliefs and attitudes. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was completed by 394 male and female adolescents in September, 2010, in Hungary. Half of the students (48.5%) then had a one-off educational intervention on aspects cervical cancer lasting 45 min lesson, while the rest of the participants, the control group, did not have the educational intervention. Three months following the education, both groups were retested using the same questionnaire. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Following the education, significant increase was detected in cervical cancer awareness: causal relationship between HPV and cervical cancer (7.9% → 22.1%, p<0.05), or perception of HPV vaccination (61.3% → 85.9%, p<0.05). Similarly, health-related beliefs have enhanced, such as 'HPV may cause cervical cancer' (64.9% → 81.0%, p<0.05) or 'cervical cancer may be prevented by vaccination' (66.5% → 85.3%, p<0.05). Our data also highlighted that Hungarian adolescents have been practising extremely risky sexual behaviour. Nearly half of the sexually active adolescents had engaged in 'one-night relationship' (41.1%) as well as having sexual intercourse without any contraceptive safety measures (44.3%). In addition to providing adolescents with clear and meaningful information about the implications of a HPV infection and addressing their fears of screening and vaccination, health education should focus on promoting safe sex behaviour by promoting the use of condoms and reducing the number of sexual partners to limit the spread of HPV, and also on encouraging the participation in regular cervical screenings, thus reducing the incidence of cervical cancer.

Adolescents' awareness of HPV infections and attitudes towards HPV vaccination 3 years following the introduction of the HPV vaccine in Hungary.

Hungary takes the fourth place regarding the incidence and the fifth regarding the mortality of cervical cancer among the member countries of the European Union, with 500 deaths due to this preventable illness and nearly 1200 new cases diagnosed every year. Although the vaccines have been available for 3 years, the estimated rate of the female population vaccinated against HPV is approximately 10% in the 12-26-year-age cohort. The aim of this study was to determine factors and motivations affecting the uptake of HPV vaccination among Hungarian adolescents. Examining the effects of some possible sociodemographic predictors (age and gender) and the exposure to health information on HPV vaccine acceptability were also focused on, as well as assessing the most trusted sources of information about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A nationwide anonymous questionnaire survey with a sample of 1769 students attending public primary or secondary schools was organised by the authors in 16 Hungarian cities and towns. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Adolescents' awareness of HPV was relatively low. Only 35% of the participants reported they had heard about HPV prior to the survey. Almost 70% of the potentially affected study population had not heard about the vaccine previously. Every fourth student did not believe that vaccination against HPV can prevent cervical cancer. If the vaccination was available free of charge, almost 80% of respondents would request it, but in case they had to pay for it, this number would significantly decrease. Significantly better knowledge and also more positive attitudes towards HPV vaccination was found in relation to the number of information sources. The majority of respondents (62-83%) were open for further information about STDs. The main trusted mediators were school-health services (61.3%), education on health at school (49.2%), health professionals (42.2%) and electronic media (24.6%). Since Hungarian adolescent students expect guidance about STDs principally from school health education, an urgent need for well-designed, HPV-focused educational programmes emerges. Launching such programmes would be especially important for the adolescent population to increase their awareness of the risks associated with HPV infection thus reducing the high incidence of cervical cancer in Hungary in the future.

Difficulties in the prevention of cervical cancer: adults' attitudes towards HPV vaccination 3 years after introducing the vaccine in Hungary.

Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent gynaecological malignancies worldwide. The Hungarian incidence and mortality of this disease take the 4th-5th places within the European Union. A survey including 785 male and female adults was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitudes concerning HPV vaccination. We focused on the difficulties of the primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer and examined some potential sociodemographic predictors of HPV vaccine acceptability. Our findings have identified some important issues like: incomplete knowledge, intense distrust and financial concerns. Almost half of the college students (45.6%) are unaware of HPV infections. We confirmed previous findings that older age and female gender correlates with better knowledge on STDs, including HPV. We found that greater exposure to health information comes with better knowledge and more positive attitudes towards vaccination. One quarter of survey respondents do not believe that cervical cancer may be prevented by vaccination. More than half of the adults do not trust national health care system and the preparedness of Hungarian doctors. General attitudes towards vaccination are broadly positive, 80% of survey participants had expressed desire towards HPV vaccination, however if there was a need to pay for the vaccination the willingness would decrease by half. Primary prevention through HPV-focused educational programs, clear communication and financial support would be important for public health to reduce the high incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in Hungary in the future.