Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools teach Medical Humanities (MH) to provide students with knowledge about the human experience related to health, illness, disease, medicine, and healthcare. Due to the previously observed negative opinions about MH courses, we examined the expectations of medical students in Poland toward humanities subjects. METHODS: We conducted a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey in one medical school (single-center study) and collected data from 166 medical students. The results were analyzed by comparing continuous and categorical variables between groups (gender, year of study, previous participation in MH classes). RESULTS: The students expected to learn how to communicate with patients and their families, especially about difficult topics. They also expected the classes to be active, stress-free, and without passing grades. The preferred MH teacher was a physician, although choosing a psychologist or other qualified person as an MH teacher was also popular. Previous participants in MH courses were more likely to expect such a course to be compulsory than those who had yet to attend it. CONCLUSION: Considering the students' expectations when designing MH classes could increase students' satisfaction with MH courses.

Occupational Burnout in Healthcare Workers, Stress and Other Symptoms of Work Overload during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland.

This study explored the level and selected determinants of burnout among five groups of healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, paramedics, other medical and nonmedical staff) working during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2022, with the use of a self-administered mostly online survey. The BAT-12 scale was used to measure burnout, and the PSS-4 scale was used to measure stress. The sample was limited to 2196 individuals who worked with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of multivariate logistic regression models with three to nine predictors was estimated. The prevalence of burnout ranged from 27.7% in other nonmedical staff to 36.5% in nurses. Adjusting for age and gender, both physicians (p = 0.011) and nurses (p < 0.001) were at higher risk of burnout. In the final model, elevated stress most likely increased the risk of burnout (OR = 3.88; 95%CI <3.13-3.81>; p < 0,001). Other significant predictors of burnout included traumatic work-related experience (OR =1.91, p < 0.001), mobbing (OR = 1.83, p < 0.001) and higher workload than before the pandemic (OR = 1.41, p = 0.002). Only 7% of the respondents decided to use various forms of psychological support during the pandemic. The presented research can contribute to the effective planning and implementation of measures in the face of crisis when the workload continues to increase.

Psychosocial contexts of the HIV epidemic in Poland.

The article is an attempt to collect and describe non-medical aspects of the HIV epidemic in Poland in 2023, aspects that often elude epidemiology and treatment specialists. However, they are crucial to public health and, as such, require a presence in the discourse on the broader issue of the HIV epidemic in our country.

What One Gets Is Not Always What One Wants-Young Adults' Perception of Sexuality Education in Poland.

There is a discrepancy between the educational needs and the opportunities to obtain reliable knowledge about sexuality in adolescence. This study aimed to assess the conjunctive influence of family and school in shaping this knowledge. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively within a cross-sectional survey conducted in Poland in 2017 (18-26 yrs; N = 595). The respondents' experiences in terms of the presence and quality of sexuality education (SE) at school and in conversations with parents about related issues were considered. RESULTS: Of all the respondents, 31.1% had no sexuality education classes in school or rated them as useless, 41.5% never discussed sexuality-related topics with parents and both were true for 17.6%. Puberty and contraception were most frequently discussed with parents, while sexual pleasure and masturbation were discussed least frequently. The diversity of topics taken up with parents and the possibility of discussions with mothers turned out to be the most important factors for shaping adolescents' knowledge. A relationship with the quality of sexuality education at school was additionally revealed for girls, while a relationship with talking to fathers was revealed for boys. CONCLUSIONS: Schools and families should work together to strengthen proper sexual development by meeting adolescents' needs in the field of their knowledge on human sexuality.

Perception of Medical Humanities among Polish Medical Students: Qualitative Analysis.

Medical humanities (MH) courses are a critical element of the medical curriculum influencing the establishment of a physician in the medical profession. However, the opinion about MH among medical students remains unknown. Interviews from seven focus groups were analysed. The students attended one of three Polish medical schools in Gdansk, Krakow, and Warsaw and were recruited to the discussion focused on the impact of drug manufacturers' presence at medical universities on socialization in the medical profession. Thematic analysis was conducted using the theoretical framework of social constructivism. The students' opinions about the MH classes arose during the analysis. In six groups, students thought that MH courses would be helpful in their future medical practice. However, in four groups, different opinion was expressed that MH courses were unnecessary or even "a waste of time". Factors discouraging students from the MH classes included poorly taught courses (monotonous, uninteresting, unrelated to medical practice, taught by unsuitable lecturers). Secondly, students thought that the time investment in the MH was too extensive. Furthermore, curriculum problems were identified, reflecting the incompatibility between the content of MH courses and teaching semesters. Lastly, some students stated that participation in MH courses should be elective and based on individual interests. Addressing problems recognized in this work could improve the training of future Polish physicians.

A Study of Differences in Compulsory Courses Offering Medicine Humanization and Medical Communication in Polish Medical Schools: Content Analysis of Secondary Data.

Medical humanity is an essential element of medical education, and the respective courses are introduced to the curricula of medical schools worldwide. However, significant differences in this type of medical education were identified in Italy, Spain, and the UK. In Poland, this issue was not yet analyzed. The classes offered on a compulsory and not elective basis secure the uniform skills of future physicians. Therefore, we were prompted to ask a question: do Polish medical students receive equal compulsory education in medical humanities? To answer that question, we performed a content analysis of mandatory classes' frequency, types, and content on medical humanization and communication in Polish medical schools. The study used publicly available information provided on the home pages of the universities to perform content and comparative analyses. Of 22 identified universities, 15 had publicly listed teaching programs, and nine had freely available syllabi. The names and types of courses varied from school to school. The number of hours the courses offered throughout medical education ranged from 15 to 216. In some medical schools, the classes were scheduled during the early, pre-clinical part of the study, whereas in other schools they were offered each year. The content of the courses always covered the topics of physician-patient communication but rarely offered protocols, such as the Calgary Cambridge guide. We conclude that the medical humanities represented by medical humanization and communication courses are included in the publicly available compulsory curriculum of most Polish medical schools. However, to secure equal education of future Polish physicians, there is a need to unify the medical humanities program.

The limits of compromise: the range of perspectives on women's reproductive rights in Poland.

OBJECTIVES: A discourse analysis was carried out to identify how women's reproductive rights and needs are reflected in pro-life and pro-choice public debate in Poland. METHODS: The research procedure was based on the need to answer the question: how do pro-life and pro-choice discourses define women's reproductive rights in Poland (including the right to abortion)? Discourse analysis was applied to answer this question. The analysis covered materials published in rightist-conservative and leftist-feminist social-political portals and in popular media during the period 2009-2014, when the so-called 'abortion compromise' was in force, and the period 2016-2017, when a proposal for an absolute ban on abortion caused women to protest throughout Poland. RESULTS: Our research showed that construction of the analysed discourses is of a processual nature. Owing to social changes, both discourses have become strongly radicalised. The rightist-conservative discourse is emotional and criticising, restricting women's rights to the benefit of the rights of the fetus. The leftist-feminist view is oriented towards emphasising freedom of choice and observing women's rights. CONCLUSION: The pro-life movement's discourse may be defined as promoting the restriction of women's reproductive rights, while leftist-feminist discourse may be seen as promoting women's reproductive rights.

Implementation and Operational Research: Computer-Assisted Intervention for Safer Sex in HIV-Positive Men Having Sex With Men: Findings of a European Randomized Multi-Center Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the key population most affected by HIV in Europe. We performed the first European multicenter, simple-randomized parallel-group study to test the effectiveness of a theory-guided computer-assisted intervention to improve safer sex among HIV-positive men who have sex with men. METHODS: Between February, 2011 and February, 2013, 112 participants were enrolled in 8 different European HIV-care settings. Intervention participants received 3 individual counseling sessions facilitated by trained service providers using computer-assisted tools. The control-group received sexual health advice delivered as part of regular HIV care. Outcome behavior (self-reported condom use at last intercourse; combined HIV transmission risk score), its influencing factors, and mediating variables were assessed at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months follow-up. Mixed effects models were used to compare primary outcomes (condom use at last intercourse, HIV transmission risk score), and mediation analysis to explore intervention effects. RESULTS: Condom use at last intercourse increased more among intervention than control participants at 3 months follow-up (odds ratio of 3.83; P = 0.03), but not significantly at 6 months follow-up. Intervention participants reported a lower transmission risk at 3 months follow-up than controls (odds ratio compared with baseline of 11.53 and 1.28, respectively; P = 0.008), but this effect became nonsignificant at 6 months. Intervention effects were mediated by the proximal variables, self-efficacy to negotiate condom use and condom attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention showed short-term effectiveness. The intervention should be replicated in other settings, eventually investigating if booster-counseling sessions would yield a longer lasting effect.

Development of a theory-guided pan-European computer-assisted safer sex intervention.

HIV is a growing public health problem in Europe, with men-having-sex-with-men and migrants from endemic regions as the most affected key populations. More evidence on effective behavioral interventions to reduce sexual risk is needed. This article describes the systematic development of a theory-guided computer-assisted safer sex intervention, aiming at supporting people living with HIV in sexual risk reduction. We applied the Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol to develop this counseling intervention in the framework of a European multicenter study. We conducted a needs assessment guided by the information-motivation-behavioral (IMB) skills model, formulated change objectives and selected theory-based methods and practical strategies, i.e. interactive computer-assisted modules as supporting tools for provider-delivered counseling. Theoretical foundations were the IMB skills model, social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model, complemented by dual process models of affective decision making to account for the specifics of sexual behavior. The counseling approach for delivering three individual sessions was tailored to participants' needs and contexts, adopting elements of motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy. We implemented and evaluated the intervention using a randomized controlled trial combined with a process evaluation. IM provided a useful framework for developing a coherent intervention for heterogeneous target groups, which was feasible and effective across the culturally diverse settings. This article responds to the need for transparent descriptions of the development and content of evidence-based behavior change interventions as potential pillars of effective combination prevention strategies.