Transfer of knowledge, skills and confidence from a faculty development programme for health professions educators into practice.

BACKGROUND: Faculty development programmes should incorporate the transfer of knowledge, skills, and confidence from the training to educational practice. However, there is a risk that transfer may fail due to inadequate integration of knowledge, skills, and confidence. The study evaluated transfer levels, guided by learned principles from a faculty development programme. METHOD: The submitted self-reports on a pedagogical intervention of 92 out of 190 health professions educators who participated in a mandatory teaching and learning training programme, were analysed by a mixed-method approach guided by a structured conceptual framework. RESULTS: Overall 93.4% reported the successful transfer of learning. Participants incorporated sustainable changed practice (level A, 57.6%), showed reflection on the impact of changed practice (level B, 21.7%), and performed effect analysis (level C, 14.1%). The rest planned application of learning (level D, 4.4%) and identified gaps in current practice or developed an idea for educational intervention but did not implement (level E, 2.2%). CONCLUSION: The majority of participants transferred their learning. Faculty development programmes must ensure successful transfer of knowledge, skills, and confidence from the training to educational practice to ensure sustainable development of teaching and learning practices.

Dysmenorrhoea among Hong Kong university students: prevalence, impact, and management.

OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea, its impact, and management approaches in Hong Kong university students, and to compare between medical and non-medical students for any potential differences in coping strategies. DESIGN. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. SETTING. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS. A total of 240 undergraduate (128 medical and 112 non-medical) students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Data on the presence and severity of dysmenorrhoea, its impact on daily life, management approaches, specific strategies, and their self-perceived effectiveness were obtained and analysed. RESULTS. In these subjects, the prevalence of dysmenorrhoea was 80% (95% confidence interval, 75-85%) with a mean (standard deviation) pain score of 5.0 (1.7). The most common impacts on daily life included reduced ability to concentrate and/or disturbance with study (75%) and changes in normal physical activity (60%). Only 6% sought medical advice, while 70% practised self-management. Pain scores and pain affecting normal physical activities were important predictive factors for self-management and for management based on pharmacological or non-pharmacological means. The commonest specific strategies used were a warm beverage (62%), paracetamol (57%), and sleeping (45%), while the most effective strategies were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (100%), traditional Chinese medicine (93%), and dietary/nutritional supplements (92%). Regarding the comparison of medical and non-medical students, the former used fewer pharmacological strategies among the various management approaches investigated. CONCLUSION. With data showing dysmenorrhoea as a very common condition having a significant impact in the Hong Kong community, primary care doctors should reassure young women with dysmenorrhoea that it is a common experience in the same age-group. Health education on the existence of effective treatment from medical practitioners could help women whose dysmenorrhoea was not controlled by self-management.

Emergency femoral hernia repair: 13-year retrospective comparison of the three classical open surgical approaches.

PURPOSE AND METHODS: Femoral hernia repairs have been done classically with three different open approaches, namely the Lockwood's (LW), Lotheissen's (LT) and McEvedy's (ME) approaches. Current literature has yet provided any definite conclusion over the best approach in emergency situations. This study aims to evaluate and compare the operative outcomes of these three approaches in emergency situations by retrospectively analyzing 190 cases (76 ME, 33 LT, 81 LW) in 13 years at a regional surgical center. RESULTS: Significantly less laparotomies were required for McEvedy's approach (ME 2.6% vs LT 33.3% vs LW 43.2%, p < 0.001), despite the need for bowel resection appear to be higher (ME 43.4% vs LT 27.3% vs LW 27.2%, p = 0.072). Overall hernia recurrence (p = 0.657) and surgical complication rates (p = 0.585) were similar between the three approaches. Although not reaching statistical significance, it appeared that in patients undergoing McEvedy's operation, mean length of stay was longer (ME 10.1 days vs LT 7.4 days vs LW 9.2 days, p = 0.407) and required more operation time (ME 97.4 min vs LT 72.0 min vs LW 79.0 min, p = 0.222). CONCLUSIONS: All three approaches were safe and effective in repairing femoral hernias in the emergency setting. McEvedy's approach may be superior to others when entry into the peritoneum is anticipated, although it may potentially be associated with longer operation time and hospital stay.