Metodologie didattiche per l’integrazione di pazienti virtuali nella formazione del medico

Fifty years has gone by from the first clinical case represented on a computer. That notwithstanding their use is not much diffuse in national and international Medical School. The aim of the paper is to aid and to stimulate teachers to use digital clinical cases suggesting appropriate methodologies to integrate with didactic objectives of courses. First we show software tools available to build virtual patients and where to search for them in online digital repositories that distribute these multimedia resources with a Creative Common License. Then, on the basis of medical literature, we discuss some successful strategies of integration of virtual patients in clinical courses. The use of digital clinical cases is useful also in Medical School with a high number of students.Nonostante siano trascorsi quasi 50 anni dalla realizzazione del primo caso clinico simulato al computer, il loro uso non è molto diffuso nelle Scuole di Medicina e Chirurgia, nazionali e internazionali. Scopo del lavoro è aiutare i docenti ad utilizzare casi clinici digitali nei loro insegnamenti suggerendo corrette metodologie di integrazione di queste risorse formative con gli obiettivi didattici del corso. Mostreremo prima gli strumenti software disponibili per produrre casi clinici virtuali e dove poterli ricercare in repository online che distribuiscono queste risorse multimediali con licenza aperta. Successivamente tratteremo alcune modalità di integrazione di pazienti virtuali nei corsi di pertinenza clinica che hanno mostrato una certa efficacia in base alla letteratura medico scientifica. Il loro uso è utile anche in Scuole di Medicina e Chirurgia ad elevata numerosità di studenti

Genetic Characterization of Resistant S. Aureus Strains Isolated From Cow’s Milk with Mastitis

Mastitis therapy is generally unsuccessful due to pathological changes that occur in the breast as a result of the inflammatory response, factors associated with the causes of mastitis, the pharmacokinetic properties of antimicrobial drugs, etc. The main reason for the low effectiveness of antibiotic treatment of mastitis caused by staphylococci is especially, among other things, the resistance of bacteria, where is recognized that Staphylococcus aureus is the first penicillin-resistant bacteria. Laboratory techniques based on phenotypic characteristics of resistance have low sensitivity. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) as a method for detecting gene mecA is considered as gold standard test. Detection of mecA gene through PCR is one of the most effective methods for the detection of MRSA. Using this method we identified six methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus isolated from cow’s milk with mastitis. Our study presents the first survey carried out in our country regarding the presence of the mecA gene for antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus which is isolated from cow’s mastitis. This study has a special importance for food products of animal origin, like milk contaminated with MRSA may constitute a main source of consumer’s infection.Keywords: MRSA, cattle, antibiogram, mecA

Peer assessment nell’insegnamento di Informatica del Corso di Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia dell’Università di Firenze

This volume explores the issues of using e-learning in university and of developing and using a “blended learning” teaching method for the course of Computer Science from the first year of the the Medicine and Surgery Degree of the University of Florence. This course was used as a trial for the peer-review teaching method, which can be useful in classes with a high number of students; this publication also includes a selection of the best works produced by the students. The results of the trial prove the advantages of using the peer-review teaching method for other university courses, and the students' works on e-health give current medical practitioners insights on how to use ICT in their practice with skill and care

Impact assessment of an educational course on vaccinations in a population of medical students

The inadequate formation and knowledge about vaccinations of healthcare workers, including doctors, has certainly contributed to the spread of the vaccine hesitancy in recent years. Therefore, it is essential to improve the level of knowledge of future doctors so that they can deal with any hesitation within the population in order to increase the vaccination coverage. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of a course about vaccination on the knowledge of medical students. In order to evaluate the efficacy of a certain lecture about vaccinations on medical students, they were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire before and after the seminar. The two questionnaires contained the same 10 questions regarding knowledge and attitudes about vaccines. Only the students who had attended the lecture were allowed to complete the post-lecture questionnaire. The students could fulfil the questionnaires through the learning management system (LMS) called ‘Moodle’. A descriptive statistical analysis of the data collected through the comparative evaluation of the answers before and after the seminar was performed. The seminar aroused much interest among the students: 100 of them completed the pre-lecture questionnaire and 81 of them completed the post-lecture questionnaire. The results show a positive impact of the seminar, especially about some specific themes: knowledge of the students on the indication of the MPR vaccine strongly improved after the seminar, the number of students who would recommend vaccination for pertussis and influenza during pregnancy increased by 37% and 19% respectively after the seminar, and those aware of the need for Herpes Zoster vaccination over the age of 65 increased by 22%. For future doctors, a thorough knowledge about vaccinations is increasingly required in order to deal with vaccine hesitancy. It is, therefore, important for them to get the opportunity to develop a mastery over these topics. An extracurricular seminar about vaccines, provided in the second half of the course of study, can have a highly positive impact and could stimulate the future healthcare personnel to improve their knowledge on vaccination

Knowledge and training of Italian students in Healthcare Settings on COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination strategies, one year after the immunization campaign

Abstract Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines represent an important opportunity for defeating the disease, as long as high vaccination acceptance rates are achieved. Healthcare workers (HCWs) have a relevant role in the promotion of immunization. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge of medical and pharmaceutical area students regarding COVID-19 vaccination and the impact of a specific Elective Teaching Activity (ETA), one year after the immunization campaign in Italy. Methods: Students’ knowledge was tested with a questionnaire before and after attending the course. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyse the results obtained. Student’s t-tests for paired data were used. Results: Overall, 387 students at the University of Florence attended the course and took the same test before and after the ETA on COVID-19 vaccines. Despite achieving satisfactory average scores in the pre-course test (26/32±4.0), all students were able to significantly enhance their final score (+17.1%; p<0.001), indicating that the ETA was highly effective in improving their knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination. Medical students demonstrated a better comprehension of the role of the medical specialist in public health in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, while some uncertainties were revealed regarding the role of pharmacists.  Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that specific training activities on vaccination are effective for implementing the knowledge of future health professionals