Development of the clinical learning evaluation questionnaire for undergraduate clinical education: Factor structure, validity, and reliability study

Background: Teaching and learning of clinical skills for undergraduate medical students usually takes place during the clinical clerkship. Therefore, it is of vital importance to ensure the effectiveness of the rotations within this clerkship. The aims of this study were to develop an instrument that measures the effectiveness of the clinical learning environment, to determine its factor structure, and to find first evidence for the reliability and validity of the total scale and the different factors. Methods. The Clinical Learning Evaluation Questionnaire (CLEQ) is an instrument, consisting of 40 items, which have been developed after consideration of the results of a qualitative study that investigated the important factors influencing clinical learning, both from the perspective of students, as well as teachers. Results of relevant literature that investigated this issue were also incorporated in the CLEQ. This instrument was administered to a sample of students (N = 182) from three medical colleges in Riyadh city, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The factor structure of the CLEQ (Principal component analysis, Oblimin rotation) and reliability of the factor scales (Cronbach's α) were determined. Hypotheses concerning the correlations between the different factors were tested to investigate their convergent and divergent validity. Results: One hundred and nine questionnaires were returned. The factor analysis yielded six factors: F1 Cases (8 items), F2 Authenticity of clinical experience (8 items), F3 Supervision (8 items), F4 Organization of the doctor-patient encounter (4 items), F5 Motivation to learn (5 items), and F6 Self awareness (4 items). The overall internal consistency (α) of the CLEQ was 0.88, and the reliabilities (Cronbach's α) of the six factors varied from.60 to.86. Hypotheses concerning the correlations between the different factors were partly confirmed, which supported the convergent validity of the factors, but not their divergent validity. Significant differences were found between the scores of the students of the three different schools on the factors Supervision and Organization of patient-doctor encounter. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that CLEQ is a multidimensional and reliable instrument. It can be utilized as an evaluation tool for clinical teaching activities, both by educators as well as students. Further research is needed into the validity of the CLEQ

Learning experiences of oral hygiene students in the clinical environment

To determine how students used daily and term-based clinical assessment tools, students’ experience of clinical teaching and clinical assessment. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study population included final-year Degree in Oral Health (BOH) students (n = 34). Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire using open- and closed-ended questions.The response rate was 85% (n = 29). Respondents reported that term-based assessment tools were more useful than daily assessment tools in preparing for clinical sessions, in guiding their patient management and as a reflection of their competence

Effective curricula for at-risk students in vocational education:a study of teachers’ practice

Abstract Background This study focused upon a curriculum for at-risk students in vocational education aimed at enhancing students’ motivation and engagement for learning. The study explored teachers’ view on effective curricular characteristics and teachers’ strategies to create positive learning experiences for students. Methods Qualitative research has been conducted regarding four curricula for at-risk students; data were collected and examined by means of 16 focus group interviews with teachers and analysis of relevant documents. Results Teachers pointed out the central position of the student, resulting in individual trajectories. Teachers used peer group dynamics, job orientation and sports as tool for student development. Teachers regarded themselves as coaches, as experts in sport activities and as group managers. For positive learning experiences two key curricular characteristics have been identified: (1) equality in the relationship between student and teacher, (2) a positive fit between the curriculum and the students

Importance and process of feedback in undergraduate medical education in Saudi Arabia

Feedback is an essential element in the process of students′ learning and develop-ment. This study aimed to explore the views of medical students regarding the importance and process of feedback in their medical education. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in our college of medicine. The questionnaire included questions to assess the students′ views about the importance and the need of feedback in the learning process and whether feed-back should follow certain or all forms of assessment. In addition, the questionnaire contained questions that aimed to explore students′ views about the contents and process of feedback. One hundred and eighty-six male medical students participated in this study. While the majority of students (85%) indicated that feedback was important for their learning and expressed their need for regular feedback during their study, only about 20% of them indicated receiving regular feed-back. Senior students perceived that they received feedback less frequently than their junior colleagues′ (P <0.05). The majority of the participants expressed their interest into receiving an immediate feedback after their summative and formative assessment. Students think that feedback should be balanced and include a suggested plan for their future learning process. Senior students showed a higher preference to have feedback that also contained points related to their strengths more than juniors. Students also indicated their preference to have one-to-one and written feed-back more than feedback that was conveyed in groups and verbally. These issues are of high im-portance and should be considered for planning and implementing an effective feedback system

Quality issues in continuing medical education in Saudi Arabia

The issue of continuing medical education (CME) in Saudi Arabia is no longer quantity but rather quality. Quality Management (QM) of the current huge number of CME activities is essential to ensure its merits and outcomes. Sound evaluation is the cornerstone of any QM process to CME. However, issues related to models of evaluation, CME stakeholders, principles of adult learning and assessment should be consid--ered before deciding on the type of evaluation appropriate for QM of CME. Our aim is to draw attention to the importance of developing a QM process for CME that is valid, reliable, feasible and acceptable to dif--ferent CME stakeholders. The huge volume of CME programs needs QM to ensure its utility for healthcare providers and consumers. Understanding relevant evaluation models and the complexity of evaluating CME is a necessary step towards appropriate action

Impact of Patient-Centered and Self-Care Education on Diabetes Control in a Family Practice Setting in Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and complex medical disease that leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Patient-centered diabetes education that emphasizes active patient involvement, self, and shared care constitutes a substantial and essential component of the comprehensive diabetes management approach. Objectives: To assess the impact of patient-centered diabetes education sessions on the prescribed treatment plan in controlling diabetes and other related cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: In a pre-experimental pretest-posttest one group study design, all referred patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) to the diabetes educator clinic (n = 130 patients) during the period of 6 months from January to July 2021 were subjected to multiple and consecutive patient-centered diabetes education sessions, based on the framework published by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialties (ADCES), in addition to their usual treatment plan. Demographic, social, and biological data were obtained at the baseline, three months, and six months after the intervention. Nonparametric Friedman and Cochran’s Q tests for related samples were applied to examine the impact of this educational intervention on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other associated cardiovascular risks. The results of 130 patients with T2DM showed a significant reduction of mean systolic blood pressure “SBP” (p = 0.015), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (p p p p p p = 0.011). At three and six months after the intervention, 43% and 58% of patients showed improved HbA1c levels. The mean HbA1c was reduced from 10.2% at the beginning of the study to 8.7% (p p = 0.018), high FBS (p = 0.011), and high SBP (p = 0.022) was detected. Conclusions: This study showed a considerable positive impact of diabetes education and patient-centered care on optimizing glycemic and other cardiovascular risk control. The needs of certain patients with T2DM should be addressed individually to achieve the best possible outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the long-term benefits of this intervention

Patient's desire and preference for provision of information toward greater involvement in shared care

Objectives: To determine the perceptions of patients on whether they receive sufficient information about their medical problems, their preferences to obtain information, and factors that may influence their preferences. Design and Settings: Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted in a primary health-care center affiliated with the National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Patients attending the center between October and December 2010 were interviewed using a questionnaire developed to meet the objectives of the study. Results: A total of 245 patients participated in the study. The mean (±standard deviation) age of the participants was 43 (±16) years. Reported cases of dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension among participants were 42%, 39%, and 31%, respectively. A minority of the participants indicated that they had a sufficient knowledge of their medical problems. The vast majority of the patients (92%) indicated that their preference to be informed about available treatment options and the plan for their future treatment. However, only 38% indicated that they had been told about the available treatment options, and less than half (48%) were informed about their future treatment plan. The proportion of male patients who preferred to know the treatment plan for their medical problems was significantly more than that of females (P < 0.001); nevertheless, female participants perceived that they had been better informed about their treatment plan than the male participants (P = 0.003). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that patients receive information about their medical problems much less than their expectations. Measures to promote patient education and their involvement in shared care process should be considered and implemented to minimize serious health outcomes

Development of the clinical learning evaluation questionnaire for undergraduate clinical education: factor structure, validity, and reliability study

BACKGROUND: Teaching and learning of clinical skills for undergraduate medical students usually takes place during the clinical clerkship. Therefore, it is of vital importance to ensure the effectiveness of the rotations within this clerkship. The aims of this study were to develop an instrument that measures the effectiveness of the clinical learning environment, to determine its factor structure, and to find first evidence for the reliability and validity of the total scale and the different factors. METHODS: The Clinical Learning Evaluation Questionnaire (CLEQ) is an instrument, consisting of 40 items, which have been developed after consideration of the results of a qualitative study that investigated the important factors influencing clinical learning, both from the perspective of students, as well as teachers. Results of relevant literature that investigated this issue were also incorporated in the CLEQ. This instrument was administered to a sample of students (N = 182) from three medical colleges in Riyadh city, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The factor structure of the CLEQ (Principal component analysis, Oblimin rotation) and reliability of the factor scales (Cronbach’s α) were determined. Hypotheses concerning the correlations between the different factors were tested to investigate their convergent and divergent validity. RESULTS: One hundred and nine questionnaires were returned. The factor analysis yielded six factors: F1 Cases (8 items), F2 Authenticity of clinical experience (8 items), F3 Supervision (8 items), F4 Organization of the doctor-patient encounter (4 items), F5 Motivation to learn (5 items), and F6 Self awareness (4 items). The overall internal consistency (α) of the CLEQ was 0.88, and the reliabilities (Cronbach’s α) of the six factors varied from .60 to .86. Hypotheses concerning the correlations between the different factors were partly confirmed, which supported the convergent validity of the factors, but not their divergent validity. Significant differences were found between the scores of the students of the three different schools on the factors Supervision and Organization of patient-doctor encounter. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated that CLEQ is a multidimensional and reliable instrument. It can be utilized as an evaluation tool for clinical teaching activities, both by educators as well as students. Further research is needed into the validity of the CLEQ