Improving skills in pediatric rheumatology in Colombia: a combined educational strategy supported by ILAR

5 páginasColombia is a densely populated country with a small number of pediatric rheumatology specialists, including 14 specialists for a population of 1,927,000 children in 2014. The objective of the study was to improve the skills required for early identification, timely referral, and management of musculoskeletal diseases, especially juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), in a group of pediatricians and pediatric residents in a remote region of Colombia. Supported by grant programs developed by the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR), a combined educational strategy (blended learning) was implemented based on two classroom educational activities and four online modules. The students’ acquired knowledge and perception of the strategy were evaluated. Scores were reported as median values and interquartile ranges (IQR), and the differences between scores were estimated using the Wilcoxon test for equal medians. Forty-one students were enrolled, 37 completed the online modules, and 33 attended the final in-person session. The results of the written tests demonstrated an improved ability to solve clinical problems compared with the results of the tests before the course (the median initial vs. final test scores 3 (IQR = 1) vs. 5 (IQR = 0), p = 0.000). The students reported high levels of satisfaction related to compliance with the proposed objectives, the relevance of the contents and activities performed, and the impact on everyday practice. These types of strategies are useful as tools for continuing medical education. However, the results pertain only to short-term learning. It is necessary to evaluate their impact on “lifelong learning.

Analysis of focus groups of Colombian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A qualitative look at representations of the disease

10 páginasEl lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) es una enfermedad crónica que expone a los pacientes a situaciones estresantes físicas, psíquicas, familiares, laborales y sociales. Se conoce que la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud de estos pacientes es inferior a la de la población general y que el estrés está relacionado con el empeoramiento del LES. El estudio de los factores que determinan la percepción del paciente con LES permitiría conocer los mecanismos que inciden negativamente en la calidad de vida y promover intervenciones que conlleven su mejoría

The challenges of implementing team-based learning to the medical major programs

15 páginasIntroduction: Team-based learning is a student-centered teaching and learning strategy, in which the teacher has the role of a facilitator. It constitutes an active learning pedagogical method that improves motivation towards learning and leads students to apply their knowledge to solve problems and combine theory with practice. Advances in medical education worldwide have led medical schools to opt for such strategies. Objective: To identify the challenges of implementing team-based learning in the medical major programs. Results: Through the application of team-based learning to the medical major programs, such factors as work and study overloads were identified as having an impact on the strategy participants, together with the need to guarantee prior training to the process stakeholders, the importance of adequate distribution of the working groups, and the additional resources that must be guaranteed. Conclusions: In order to obtain full pedagogical benefits, the implementation of team-based learning must be systematic, a process requiring training and preparation processes for both students and teachers. Like any change, it will demand conviction, time and adjustments throughout the process.Introducción: El aprendizaje basado en equipos es una estrategia de enseñanza y de aprendizaje centrada en el alumno, en la cual el profesor tiene un rol facilitador. Este constituye un método pedagógico de aprendizaje activo que mejora la motivación hacia el aprendizaje y lleva a los alumnos a aplicar sus conocimientos para resolver problemas y combinar la teoría con la práctica. Los avances en educación médica a nivel mundial han llevado a las escuelas de medicina a optar por este tipo de estrategias. Objetivo: Identificar los retos de la implementación del aprendizaje basado en equipos en los programas de medicina. Resultados: Mediante la aplicación del aprendizaje basado en equipos en los programas de medicina, se identificaron los factores de sobrecarga laboral y de estudio con incidencia en los participantes en la estrategia, la necesidad de garantizar entrenamiento previo a los actores del proceso, la importancia de la realización de una adecuada distribución de los grupos de trabajo, y los recursos adicionales que deben garantizarse. Conclusiones: Para obtener beneficios pedagógicos de forma plena, la implementación del aprendizaje basado en equipos debe ser sistemática, lo que requiere procesos de formación y preparación, tanto de los estudiantes como de los profesores. Como cualquier cambio, demandará convicción, tiempo y ajustes a lo largo del proceso

Associations of the Levels of C4d-bearing Reticulocytes and High-avidity Anti-dsDNA Antibodies with Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

9 páginasObjective There are no laboratory tools that detect early flares in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to validate in our population the previous findings of the association of C4d-bearing reticulocytes (R-C4d) compared to anti-dsDNA antibodies, with disease activity assessed by the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment–Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) and the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) 2004 scales. Methods All patients who met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria and were seen consecutively in 2013 at a specialized SLE care clinic were included. Disease activity was established by the SELENA-SLEDAI and BILAG 2004. Anti-dsDNA and R-C4d were quantified in peripheral blood. Comparisons were made between values of active and inactive patients, and the correlations between the SELENA-SLEDAI and serum levels of anti-dsDNA and R-C4d were measured. Results Sixty-two patients (83.9% women) were included. A total of 32.3% had active disease according to the SELENA-SLEDAI. There was a significant statistical difference (p = 0.0001) in the distribution of R-C4d between disease activity groups. The correlation coefficient between R-C4d and the SELENA-SLEDAI score was rs = 0.738 (p = 0.0001). R-C4d differed between patients with and without activity in the BILAG 2004 constitutional, mucocutaneous, gastrointestinal, renal, and hematological domains. Conclusion R-C4d showed a higher correlation with SLE activity measured by the SELENA-SLEDAI and BILAG 2004 than anti-dsDNA did, suggesting a possible involvement in diagnosing disease activity. Prospective studies that confirm these findings and evaluate its involvement in followup are needed