|
 
 |
| EDITORIAL |
|
| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 27
| Issue : 3 | Page : 227-228 |
|
Co-Editors' Notes 27:3
Donald Pathman1, Michael Glasser2
1 Co-Editors, Education for Health; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
2 Co-Editors, Education for Health; University of Illinois, Rockford, Illinois, USA
| Date of Web Publication | 26-Feb-2015 |
Correspondence Address:
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1357-6283.152171
How to cite this article:
Pathman D, Glasser M. Co-Editors' Notes 27:3. Educ Health 2014;27:227-8 |
Welcome to the latest issue of Education for Health. We are particularly pleased to offer articles from across the globe, including India, Pakistan, Uganda, Mozambique, Uganda, Vietnam, and the United States and representing health professions education at many levels, including programs for students and residents as well as faculty development. With the upcoming Network: Towards Unity for Health conference in South Africa and its theme 'Education for Change', here are papers addressing this topic.
In 'A 360-Degree Evaluation of the Communication and Interpersonal Skills of Medicine Resident Physicians in Pakistan', Tariq and colleagues concluded that the '360-Evaluation' can be used to assess communication skills and is particularly useful in providing timely feedback to medical residents on their interactions with patients.
Behere also addressed the issue of communication skills. In 'Introduction of Mini-CEX in Undergraduate Dental Education in India,' the researcher presents the results of a pilot study to examine how both students and faculty evaluated use of the mini-CEX as an assessment tool in communication skills and professionalism. Both groups found the process time-consuming but agreed that the tool can be important in the interpersonal skill development of future dentists.
Nayak and colleagues looked at attitudes of practicing dentists related to use of tooth carving as a learning strategy in dental education. In 'The Perceived Relevance of Tooth Carving in Dental Education: Views of Practicing Dentists and Faculty in West India', Nayal et al. report that nearly 70% of 1722 responding practitioners indicated that the tooth carving exercise influenced their clinical practice and 93% recommended that tooth carving remain a part of the undergraduate dental curriculum - a policy supported by the study's authors.
In 'Reducing Obesity Prejudice in Medical Education', a paper from the United States, Matharu et al. report on a randomized, control trial involving three universities in which attitudes toward obesity were compared after students participated in either a lecture on the topic or a group in which students played out roles related to obese patients and their interactions with doctors. This non-traditional method of instruction showed that dramatic reading can be superior to traditional lecture for understanding and addressing the patient's perspective.
Tran and colleagues, in 'Implementing a Skillslab Training Program in a Developing Country' present the results of a collaboration between schools in Vietnam and the Netherlands to examine perceptions of quality of training related to 56 selected skills. The basic skills were those proposed by consensus among eight Vietnamese medical schools. While some successes are documented, the authors conclude that it remains challenging for most medical schools in Vietnam to fully implement a national skillslab training program.
In the 'Intricate Relationship Between a Medical School and a Teaching Hospital: A Case Study in Uganda,' Mubuuke et al. present a case study to investigate factors perceived to influence the relationship between a medical school and teaching hospital in a resource-limited setting. Key informant interviews were conducted to examine working relationships, challenges, and future opportunities in collaboration between institutions. While respondents, in fact, reported strained relationships and important factors adversely affecting the relationship, the authors propose a collaborative model for future relations that will succeed in resource-limited settings.
Niebuhr and colleagues, in 'Online Faculty Development for Creating e-Learning Materials' report on the results of the Any Day Any Place Teaching (ADAPT) faculty development program started in the United States. The focus was on professionals from multiple disciplines who participated in an innovative curriculum designed to not only have faculty participate in e-learning but also produce e-learning materials within their fields of study. Participants indicated time management as an issue in the learning process but expressed confidence in their abilities to produce on-line learning materials.
In 'Overcoming Challenges to Develop Pediatric Training Programs in Low and Middle-income Countries', Ganapathi et al., from the USA, provide information on how postgraduate pediatric training programs are developed in countries with few or no pediatric training opportunities. The study focused on Kenya, Laos, Eritrea, and Cambodia, which are countries that had recently established postgraduate general pediatric programs. The researchers formulated a logic model that could be used in planning and developing future programs, and which addresses such challenges as faculty development, creating pipelines for enrollment, and funding.
'A Framework for Revising Preservice Curriculum Nonphysician Clinicians: The Mozambique Experience' presents the results of a collaboration between the Mozambique Ministry of Health and universities in the United States. With the Ministry of Health of Mozambique wanting greater investment in the training of nonphysician clinicians, (Tecnicos de Medicina), Freistadt et al. describe a six-step process to revise the curriculum for this group. The authors present lessons learned which they feel may be applicable to similar training initiatives in other less developed countries.
Jathanna and colleagues, in 'The Awareness and Attitudes of Students of One Indian Dental School toward Information Technology and Its Use to Improve Patient Care', surveyed 186 students to assess perceptions of the usefulness of digital technologies in improving practice, willingness to use digital technologies, and obstacles to use. Most respondents felt that information technology enhances patient satisfaction and quality of care. Barriers to technology use were lack of technical knowledge and high cost of implementation in resource poor areas.
In 'Self-directed Learning Readiness among Fifth Semester MBBS Students in a Teaching Institution of South India', Kar et al. addressed the issue of student responsibility in the learning process. Readiness assessment focused on the areas of self-management, desire for learning, and self-control. While males scored higher on self-directed learning than females, overall, scores were lower in this group of medical students than those reported elsewhere in the literature.
Finally, in this issue of Education for Health, we have an interesting mix of five Letters to the Editor covering such topics as continuing use of the textbook as a learning resource, a charge to move from Evidence-based to Equity-based Medicine, and a comment on the 'globalization of social media'.
We hope this issue both informs and challenges you.
|
Search Pubmed for