Perceptions of clinical teachers acting as examiners regarding the value of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Objectives: The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) is a common method of assessing clinical skills used at many universities. An important and simultaneously difficult aspect of good examination preparation is obtaining a properly trained and well-motivated group of assessors. To effectively recruit and maintain cooperation with assessors, it is worth knowing their opinion. The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of teacher-examiners about the OSCE and to identify the factors that could shape this opinion and influence on motivation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire on teachers who participated as OSCE examiners. This questionnaire consisted of 21 questions about their perceptions. Answers were rated in a five-point Likert-type scale. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 49 (out of 52) teachers participated in this study. Nearly 90% of examiners believed that it is fair, and more than 90% that it is transparent. Despite the fact that 67% of examiners believe that the examination is difficult to organize and 71% believe it is stressful for students; according to 72% of respondents the OSCE has a positive effect on learning. More than 91% of examiners believed that the OSCE is an appropriate test to assess students’ skills. Opinions about the examination were independent of specialty, seniority, gender or having taken the OSCE as students. Conclusion: Teacher-examiners viewed the OSCE as a fair and transparent examination, adequate for the assessment of skills and, despite it being difficult to organize, worth doing as it is appropriate to assess practical skills and positively influences students’ motivation to learn tested skills

Skuteczność opartego na edukacji programu prewencji wtórnej dla chorych hospitalizowanych z powodu ostrego zespołu wieńcowego w Polsce. Program Klubu Pacjenta

Background: Guidelines on cardiovascular prevention from the European Society of Cardiology advocate sustained educational measures to be undertaken by both doctors and nurses to ensure lifestyle changes for patients after acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A planned programme of a series of educational meetings for patients after ACS was initiated in form of the Patient Club. Aim: To assess the efficacy of the Patient Club initiative in terms of increased knowledge on cardiovascular risk factors as well as utilisation of healthy lifestyle in patents who attend the programme. Methods: Patients in nine cardiology centres in Poland, who were treated for ACS between October and December 2014, were included. A dedicated questionnaire on healthy lifestyle and knowledge on cardiovascular risk factors was filled in by patients at hospital discharge. In January 2015 the same questionnaire was filled in by the same group of patients before their local Patient Club meeting. Results: There were 1273 patients hospitalised for ACS who were invited to join the Patient Club initiative. Of them, 372 (29%) filled in the questionnaire both at discharge and at the Patient Club meeting. The percentage of patients who smoked ciga­rettes decreased from 14% to 5% (p < 0.001), and the number of those who had at least 30 min of physical activity daily increased from 50% to 58% (p = 0.015). Conclusions: Patients who attended Patient Club meetings usually four weeks after ACS showed significant benefit in terms of healthy lifestyle changes and more guideline-recommended management of cardiovascular risk factors.Wstęp: W wytycznych Europejskiego Towarzystwa Kardiologicznego zaleca się u pacjentów po przebytym ostrym zespole wieńcowym (OZW) edukację prozdrowotną prowadzoną przez lekarzy i pielęgniarki. Klub Pacjenta to zaplanowany prospek­tywnie program spotkań edukacyjnych chorych po OZW. Cel: Celem niniejszego badania była ocena skuteczności programu prewencji wtórnej zainicjowanego w postaci Klubu Pacjenta. Metody: Pacjentów po OZW włączano do badania rejestrowego w październiku–grudniu 2014 r. w 9 współpracujących ośrodkach kardiologii inwazyjnej. Pacjenci wypełniali kwestionariusz dotyczący nawyków i stylu życia. W styczniu–lutym 2015 r. ten sam kwestionariusz został wypełniony przez chorych, którzy wzięli udział w programie lokalnych Klubów Pacjenta. Wyniki: Do Klubu Pacjenta zaproszono 1273 pacjentów hospitalizowanych z powodu OZW. Kwestionariusz zarówno przy wypisywaniu, jak i w trakcie trwania programu wypełniło 372 (29%) osób. Odsetek chorych palących tytoń zmalał z 14% do 5% (p < 0,001), a odsetek pacjentów, którzy deklarowali minimum 30 min aktywności ruchowej dziennie, zwiększył się z 50% do 58% (p = 0,015). Wnioski: Zaobserwowano istotne zmiany w występowaniu czynników ryzyka i istotną poprawę stylu życia u pacjentów, którzy skorzystali z udziału w programie prewencji wtórnej Klubu Pacjenta 4–8 tygodni po wypisaniu ze szpitala z powodu OZW