Student Self-Assessments and Peer Assessments of Video Recordings of Physical Examination Practicums in a Physical Diagnosis Course.

PURPOSE: Self-assessments and peer assessments of video recordings of performance have been used in a variety of educational and professional training programs; however, there is no literature on the application of such performance assessments in physician assistant (PA) education. The purpose of this pilot study was to both explore the feasibility of adding video recordings of existing practicum examinations to a physical diagnosis course and evaluate students' self-assessments and peer assessments of the activity. METHODS: Fifty first-semester students who were enrolled in a 7-semester PA program participated. Three 15-minute practicums were recorded on students' personal smartphones and uploaded to a private YouTube channel. Students completed self- and peer-review questionnaires after each practicum, as well as a separate reflective questionnaire at the end of the course to garner their feedback of the video-recorded practicums on their physical examination (PE) performance. RESULTS: Students assessed their peers' performances more favorably than their own. Students reported increased awareness of their own verbal and nonverbal communication strengths and weaknesses with the use of video-recorded practicums, as well as increased motivation to practice. The majority of students found these sessions to have improved their performance and decreased their anxiety with performing a complete PE at the end of the course. CONCLUSIONS: The use of periodic video recordings of PE practicums with both self-assessments and peer assessments increased the students' level of practice of these important skills, enhanced students' awareness of nontechnical aspects of patient examination, was well received by the majority of students, and may be implemented with minimal expense.

Low frequency sonophoresis mediated transdermal and intradermal delivery of ketoprofen.

The objective of this study was to test low frequency sonophoresis at 20 kHz for delivery of ketoprofen into and across the skin. Permeation studies were carried out in vitro on excised hairless rat skin over a period of 24h using Franz diffusion cells after which, skin samples were subjected to skin extraction to quantify the amount of drug present in skin. Parameters like ultrasound application time, duty cycle coupling medium and distance of ultrasound horn from skin were optimized. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured to indicate the extent of barrier disruption following sonophoresis. Confocal microscopy was used to visualize dye penetration through sonophoresis treated skin. Application of ultrasound significantly enhanced permeation of ketoprofen from 74.87 ± 5.27 µg/cm(2) for passive delivery to 491.37 ± 48.78 µg/cm(2) for sonophoresis. Drug levels in skin layers increased from 34.69 ± 7.25 µg following passive permeation to 212.62 ± 45.69 µg following sonophoresis. TEWL increased from 31.6 ± 0.02 (passive) to 69.5 ± 12.60 (sonophoresis) indicating disruption of barrier properties. Confocal microscopy images depicted enhanced dye penetration through sonophoresis treated skin confirming barrier disruption. Low frequency sonophoresis with optimized ultrasound parameters can be effectively used to actively enhance transdermal and topical delivery of ketoprofen.

Evaluating the effects of an educational symposium on knowledge, impact, and self-management of older african americans living with osteoarthritis.

The purpose of the study1 was to determine the effects of a 1-day educational symposium on knowledge, impact, and self-management of older African Americans living with osteoarthritis (OA). A 1-group pre- and posttest design was employed. The educational symposium was the intervention variable. Speakers were experts in the field of arthritis care. Participants were recruited from a community senior center. Participants completed the Short Form of the Arthritis Impact Management Scales (AIMS2-SF), the Summary of Arthritis Management Methods (SAMMS), and a 6-question Knowledge Test about OA before the symposium. The knowledge test was administered again at the completion of the program. Posttesting of the AIMS2-SF and SAMMS occurred 3 months later to assess changes in arthritis impact and self-management strategies. Knowledge scores increased significantly immediately following the symposium. The AIMS2-SF subscales of Affect, Symptom, and Physical Function decreased significantly 3 months after the symposium indicating that arthritis had less impact on participants after the conference. Participants also reported using more self-management methods 3 months after the event. The results of this pilot study indicate that this symposium was effective in increasing participants' knowledge of OA, improving self-management, and decreasing the impact of OA on daily function. The small sample size and preexperimental design limit generalizability.