Effect of Concept Mapping Education on Critical Thinking Skills of Medical Students: A Quasi-experimental Study

BACKGROUND፡ Fostering critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important missions in medical education. Concept mapping is a method used to plan and create medical care through a diagrammatic representation of patient problems and medical interventions. Concept mapping as a general method can be used to improve CT skills in medical students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of concept mapping on CT skills of medical students.METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 second-year medical students which take an anatomy course. Participants were randomly assigned into a control group (lecture-based) and an intervention group (concept mapping). CT levels of medical students were assessed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test.RESULTS: Before intervention, CT scores of the intervention and control groups were 6.68 ± 2.55 and 6.64±2.74, respectively, and after intervention, they were 11.64±2.29 and 10.04 ± 3.11, respectively. Comparison of mean score differences for both groups before and after intervention demonstrated that CT scores in the experimental group significantly increased after intervention (P=0.021).CONCLUSIONS: Medical students who were taught through concept mapping showed an increase in CT scores, compared with those in the control group. Medical students require effective CT skills in order to make sound knowledge-based assessment and treatment choices during patient care. Therefore, instructors and planners of medical education are expected to apply this educational strategy for developing CT skills in medical students

Comparison of the Effect of Teaching Methods of Flipped Class and TBL in Enhancing Psychological Empowerment

Introduction: Today, it is felt as necessary to promote the psychological empowerment of individuals, especially at thepostgraduate level using an appropriate educational approach. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of flipped class (FC) and team-based learning (TBL) in enhancing psychological empowerment.Methods: This semi-experimental study (pretest-posttest model) was conducted on postgraduate students in the Facultyof Medicine. Ninety students were included in the study using census method. After applying the inclusion and exclusioncriteria, forty students were divided into two groups of 20 in a non-random way according to their gender and educational level. The workshop teacher randomly selected one of the groups as a TBL and the other as an FC. A two-day workshop was held for each group (12 hours of training in total). The educational method was TBL in one group and FC in another. Spritzer’s Psychological Empowerment questionnaire was used for data collection in preand post-test (one month apart). This questionnaire includes 12 questions (based on a five-point Likert scale) to assess the 4 aspects of job meaningfulness, feeling to be qualified, feeling to be effective, and feeling to have the freedom of choice. The minimum and maximum scores are 12 and 60, respectively. The experts of the field have confirmed its reliability. Its Cronbach-Alpha values were reported in previous studies at 0.86 and 0.89, respectively. Data were analyzed using statistical tests in SPSS16 and Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney non-parametric tests.Results: The Mann-Whitney U-test indicated no significant difference between the total mean of the two groups (FC: 35.20±1.73, TBL: 34.30±1.26) in the pre-test (P=0.157). However, there was a significant difference between the psychological empowerment scores of the two groups in the post-test (P0.001).Conclusion: Due to the influence of the TBL technique on psychological empowerment at the postgraduate level, it seems that TBL is more useful and practical for enhancing psychological empowerment

Global, regional, and national burden of colorectal cancer and its risk factors, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Funding: F Carvalho and E Fernandes acknowledge support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy i4HB; FCT/MCTES through the project UIDB/50006/2020. J Conde acknowledges the European Research Council Starting Grant (ERC-StG-2019-848325). V M Costa acknowledges the grant SFRH/BHD/110001/2015, received by Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), IP, under the Norma Transitória DL57/2016/CP1334/CT0006.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Application of opinions and philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in medical education

Undoubtedly, Rousseau's ideas in the field of application and practice can be given a prominent role in education. As in France itself, they recognized him late and understood his thoughts, and 16 years after Rousseau's death, his body was transferred to the Pantheon (the mausoleum of great men of that country) by the decision of the French Revolutionary Assembly and was buried here, perhaps for a period of time. It takes a lot to put his ideas into practice. But what is clear is that in the matter of teaching and learning, this theory can be greatly benefited in the following dimensions: 1- Learner: Rousseau's emphasis on knowing the student is comprehensive and he believes that one should have the necessary and sufficient information about the student before any effective action. Modern psychological theories also emphasize the importance of knowing the student in the medical education group or other similar groups, the first step for teaching and learning should be the foundation of knowing the students. The teacher must know the learner in terms of cognitive processes, previous experiences, intelligence and talent, background, motivation, emotional maturity, etc. because all these things will be effective in his teaching and communication methods, and without the knowledge of these processes, he will build an intellectual scaffolding. And the pre-organizers cannot have high hopes for the results of their work. The teacher should know the needs of the learner and guide the curriculum in that direction, and the most important thing is to take into account the individual differences of the learners. It is also important to pay attention to the cognitive development stages of learners and what should be provided to Anna at each stage. 2- Instructor: The role of the instructor should be a facilitator and guide. The teacher should be a complete practical model for the learners. Even in theories of social-cognitive psychology such as Bandura, the role of the model and the fact that the giver must perform well in his position are mentioned. The teacher should motivate the students and according to Rousseau, the art of a teacher is to make his student enjoy the lesson. If a school is chosen for teaching a subject, it must have the necessary expertise in that subject and discipline and start it with sufficient motivation. The teacher should be able to establish a good relationship with the learner or learners and play the role of a friend and helper, and the learner should be able to learn by his side. 3- Environment: The environment is something that Rousseau is very sensitive about and he is forced to grow and cultivate his desire even in solitude. Rousseau does not accept an educational environment that imposes negative training on the individual or is not stimulating enough. Today, new theories of psychology have confirmed the correctness of Rousseau's theory. In the matter of teaching and learning, creating suitable, creative, and stimulating environments, suitable emotional atmosphere, suitable physical environment, sufficient facilities, and tools, etc., have a great impact on the amount and desirability of students' learning and it is necessary to create a dynamic environment. 4- Curriculum: the content presented to the learners should be consistent with their natural needs. Using learning with the help of the senses and applying the experimental method in teaching and learning was one of Rousseau's philosophical principles, which later became the basis of Dewey's theory of pragmatism. Curriculums should be comprehensive and should allow learners as much freedom in learning as possible. Also, curricula should be flexible and far from monotony and dryness. Emphasizing new teaching methods is one of the principles of this philosophical theory and teachers should not insist on traditional teaching. Curricula should be problem-oriented and make the learner think and reflect. Provide him with an objective and first-hand experiences. It is very important to include moral content in lessons and one should not ignore its hidden effects. Learning how to think should be included in the curriculum. Giving learners independence and freedom of action to touch and experience what they like to learn should be done with teacher facilitation

A psychometric evaluation of inter-professional education competency tool in nursing and medicine students

Abstract Introduction Collaboration between nurses and doctors is necessary for offering care to patients. Using team performance assessment tools and surveying them can be effective in promoting inter-professional collaboration, and the lack of a credible tool to assess inter-professional collaboration competency between the two groups is a major challenge in the healthcare sector. The present study aimed to translate and conduct a psychometric investigation on the inter-professional education collaboration (IPEC) tool for the students of medicine and nursing. Methods The present study was a cross-sectional one conducted as a psychometric investigation of the IPEC tool at the Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The initial tool contained 42 items developed according to a 5-point Likert scale, which was translated into Persian with the consent of the original researcher. The validity index and the content validity ratio were investigated by a panel of 11 specialists in medical and clinical education, and its construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Also, the second population of the study included medical and nursing students of Iran University of Medical Sciences and simple random sampling method. Moreover, the reliability of the instrument was investigated using internal consistency, Cronbach’s Alpha, and test–retest methods. Results Based on the indicators calculated to perform a psychometric investigation over the above tool, it had acceptable reliability and validity according to the specialists. The tool evaluates inter-professional collaboration competency between the students of medicine and nursing across four areas (values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, inter-professional communication, and team-based care and teamwork). Moreover, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for the tool was determined at 0.84. Conclusion The results of the study showed that the above tool could evaluate inter-professional competency as a valid and reliable questionnaire, and its results could be utilized in planning and education

Exploring the attitudes of general medical students toward older adult’s care in a lower middle-income country: implications for medical education

Abstract Objective The motivation for this study stemmed from the growing population of older adults and the increasing demand for healthcare professionals who possess the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care to this demographic. By exploring the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of medical students towards older adult care, the study aimed to identify gaps in their training and areas where improvements can be made to better equip them for this critical aspect of healthcare. Method This study was a qualitative thematic analysis. The participants of this research were selected from among the general medicine internship students of Iran University of Medical Sciences by purposive sampling method. In-depth individual semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Sampling continued until data saturation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Using this approach, the analysis of the data became more adaptable and open-ended, free from the restrictions of pre-existing theoretical frameworks. MAXQDA 22 was used to analyze qualitative data. Results A total of 27 medical students were interviewed semi-structured, and audio files were transcribed immediately after the interview. In the process of reading the interviews carefully and separating the conceptual units into codes, 167 primary codes were obtained, and these codes were divided into five main categories under the title of root factors after constant comparison analysis. Five main themes are including discrimination in service delivery, a lack of inter-professional training, interpersonal communication skills, inadequate infrastructure and human resources, and enhancing attitudes towards older person care through experiential learning. Conclusion This study sheds light on the attitudes and perceptions of medical students toward older adult care in a lower-middle-income country. The findings reveal that there are significant gaps in their training and preparation for providing quality care to this demographic profile. The four main categories identified as root factors highlight key areas where improvements can be made in medical education. It is recommended that medical schools in low and middle-income countries consider incorporating these themes into their curricula to better equip future healthcare professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care to older adults