Infection prevention in medical education - results of a descriptive cross-sectional study in Germany.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the current curricular status of content on infection prevention in hospitals during medical education prior to the development of a serious game on infection prevention in hospitals. In addition, the data collected was to be contrasted with the training for a specialist nurse in hygiene and infection prevention (FKHI). Methodology: In an online survey, persons in charge of medical degree programs and continuing education centers for FKHI, SkillsLabs and professional associations in Germany were asked to answer 28 questions on framework conditions, teaching, examinations, and gamification. Results: Data was collected for 22 medical degree programs and 5 FKHI continuing education centers. Due to the low response rate, the data for the FKHI was only analyzed in summary form. On average, 13.5 teaching units (median) are available in medical studies. Six degree programs have a longitudinal curriculum. In 7 of the 22 degree programs, teaching is based on the National Competency-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue (NKLM). Almost all locations teach this content in lectures (n=18) and/or in internships (n=13). Teaching and examinations are most common in the third year of study (n=12). In addition to practical OSCE examinations (n=5), written (n=12) and computer-based (n=8) examinations are used in particular. Gamification is known as a didactic approach to some extent but is not used for teaching infection prevention. Conclusions: Infection prevention in hospitals is given relatively low priority in medical education. Teaching and examinations are based on traditional knowledge-oriented formats, although practical teaching and practical examinations are established at some locations. In contrast to the FKHI, learning objectives currently appear to be less standardized. Further interprofessional development of teaching would be desirable in the future.

The Brandenburg reformed medical curriculum: study locally, work locally.

The Brandenburg Medical School "Theodor Fontane" (MHB) was founded in 2014 by municipal and non-profit institutions in Bernau, Brandenburg an der Havel and Neuruppin to train more physicians for the non-metropolitan region of Brandenburg. Since the 2015 summer term, 48 medical students have been enrolled each year, accepted through the university's own selection process in which the score on the German school-leaving exam (Abitur) and time spent on the waiting list play subordinate roles. Tuition fees can be partially financed through scholarship agreements with regional hospitals if the applicants commit themselves to medical specialist training (Facharztweiterbildung) at a particular hospital. The main places of study are Neuruppin and Brandenburg an der Havel; there is a decentralized study phase from the eighth to tenth semester of study. The Brandenburg Reformed Medical Curriculum (BMM) complies with the model clause contained in the German regulations governing the licensing of medical doctors (ÄAppO). The curriculum is based on problem-based learning (PBL) and focused on competencies and consists of integrated interdisciplinary modules that combine, from the very beginning, basic sciences with clinical and theoretical medical subjects. The focus on general practice is visible in the regularly held "Practical Days" (Praxistag) during which second-year students and above have the opportunity to observe at participating medical practices and familiarize themselves with primary care in Brandenburg. A special focus of BMM is on the acquisition and development of communication and interpersonal skills. These are imparted through a longitudinal curriculum referred to as "Teamwork, Reflection, Interaction, Communication" (TRIK). High value is placed on critical thinking and scientific scholarship and this is reflected in an eight-week academic placement in which the students independently write a research paper. Several different teaching formats ensure that, along with learning specific subjects, sustained personal development can also take place. BMM's decentralized study phase starting in the eighth semester represents a special part of the curriculum in which students complete their clinical training in small groups at selected cooperating hospitals in Brandenburg. This phase encompasses not only hospital placements and other local patient-centered courses, but also centralized instruction via video conferencing to assure that basic sciences and clinical theory continue to be covered. Knowledge- and performance-based semester assessments, in particular OSCEs, reinforce the practical aspects of the training. These replace the M1 state medical examination in the first study phase. The first medical students are now in their ninth semester as of April 2019, making it still too early for final evaluations. The curriculum, successfully implemented to date, already satisfies core requirements of the Master Plan 2020 for undergraduate medical education (Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020) with the curriculum's organization and structure, curricular content, assessment formats and student admission process. With its decentralized structure, BMM specifically addresses the social and health policy challenges facing rural regions of Brandenburg. This is the first curriculum that has taken on the improvement of healthcare in rural regions as its central aim.