Use of learning media to support resident doctor skills in obstetrics and gynecology during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

COVID-19 is a pandemic that has spread in various countries. The health care system in hospitals is burdened with widespread infections and health problems. In addition, educational aspects, especially obstetrics and gynecology education, have problems in clinical practice. This study reviews the role of the learning media in supporting the competence of resident doctors in specialist education for obstetrics and gynecology. Narrative review is done by reviewing some literature that explores the use of media in supporting medical education competencies. The search was performed using MeSH keywords in the PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect databases. The literature used is research conducted in the last 5 years. The collected data is then arranged in a narrative manner. The challenges experienced in medical resident education, especially the focus on obstetrics and gynecology during the COVID-19 pandemic, have become a consideration for the need for innovative media so that learning can run as usual. All aspects need to ensure quality education for resident doctors because they will continue to provide health services in the future. Keywords: Maternal health, COVID-19, Media, Obstetrics and gynecology

Impact of Pharmacist Education on Incoming Medical Residents

Introduction: The graduating medical student transitioning to the role of a first-year medical resident is expected to know the proper medications and dosages for routine patient conditions. Pharmacists on an interdisciplinary health care team can be effective teachers of medical residents. Given the small amount of pharmacy-based education included in medical school curricula, it is important that medical residents have a basic foundation of pharmacotherapeutic knowledge. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led education session in improving medical resident pharmacotherapy knowledge. Methods: During orientation in 2016 to 2019, first-year medical residents completed an 8-item pre-test assessing their choices of medications and dosages on 8 patient conditions. A post-test assessing these same items was taken after a 50-minute lecture from a pharmacist experienced in resident education. First-year medical residents at a separate institution within the university system completed the pre-test only. Results: Overall, 243 medical residents received the lecture and took both tests and 170 medical residents at the other institution completed the pre-test only (100% response rate). Using descriptive statistics, the 2 groups of medical residents were comparable in age, gender, and scores on the pre-test. Medical residents receiving the lecture showed an average 32% point change improvement in performance on the post-test. The pharmacist-led lecture consistently received the highest ratings (4.7 ± 0.5 out of 5) from residents of all the orientation topics presented. Conclusions: A pharmacist-led education session increased the pharmacotherapy knowledge of first-year medical residents at their resident orientation. Medical residents value reinforcement of basic pharmacotherapy knowledge to start their training.

Improving medical residents’ utilisation of integrated mental health in primary care

BackgroundIntegration of mental health services allows for improved prevention and management of chronic conditions within the primary care setting. This quality improvement project aimed to increase adherence to and functioning of an integrated care model within a patient-centred medical home. Specifically, the project focused on improving collaboration between Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) and the medical resident Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northport,New York (VAMC Northport).MethodThe project used increased education, training and relationship building among the medical resident PACTs, and the establishment of regularly occurring integrated team meetings for medical and mental health providers. Education of residents was measured with a self-assessment pre-training and post-training, while utilisation was measured by the percentage of patients currently on a PACT’s panel with at least one PC-MHI encounter in the last 12 months (known in VAMC Northport as PACT-15 metric).ResultsTwo resident PACTs that received both training and weekly integrated meetings increased their utilisation of integrated mental health services by 3.8% and 4.5%, respectively. PACTs that participated in training only, with no regular meetings, showed an initial improvement in utilisation that declined over time.ConclusionsTraining alone appeared beneficial but insufficient for increased integration over time. The addition of a regularly occurring integrated weekly meeting may be a critical component of facilitating sustained mental health integration in a primary care medical home model.

Changes in the working conditions and learning environment of medical residents after the enactment of the Medical Resident Act in Korea in 2015: a national 4 year longitudinal study

Purpose: In 2015, the South Korean government legislated the Act for the Improvement of Training Conditions and Status of Medical Resid7`nn78bbbbbbbbbbnbents (Medical Resident Act). This study investigated changes in the working and learning environment pre- and post-implementation of the Medical Resident Act in 2017, as well as changes in training conditions by year post-implementation.Methods: An annual cross-sectional voluntary survey was conducted by the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) between 2016 and 2019. The learning and working environment, including extended shift length, rest time, learning goals, and job satisfaction, were compared by institution type, training year, and specialty.Results: Of the 55,727 enrollees in the KIRA, 15,029 trainees took the survey, and the number of survey participants increased year by year (from 2,984 in 2016 to 4,700 in 2019). Overall working hours tended to decrease; however, interns worked the most (114 hours in 2016, 88 hours in 2019; P<0.001). Having 10 hours or more of break time has gradually become more common (P<0.001). Lunch breaks per week decreased from 5 in 2017 to 4 in 2019 (P<0.001). Trainees’ sense of educational deprivation increased from 17.5% in 2016 to 25.6% in 2018 (P<0.001). Awareness of tasks and program/work achievement goals increased from 29.2% in 2016 to 58.3% in 2018 (P<0.001). Satisfaction with the learning environment increased over time, whereas satisfaction with working conditions varied.Conclusion: The Medical Resident Act has brought promising changes to the training of medical residents in Korea, as well as their satisfaction with the training environment.