Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy: making sense of the total score through a second order confirmatory factor analysis.

BACKGROUND: Empathy is a key aspect of the physician-patient interactions. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) is one of the most used empathy measures of medical students. The development of cross-cultural empathy studies depends on valid and reliable translations of the JSE. This study sought to: (1) adapt and assess the psychometric properties in Spanish students of the Spanish JSE validated in Mexican students; (2) test a second order latent factor model. METHODS: The Spanish JSE was adapted from the Spanish JSE-S, resulting in a final version of the measure. A non-probabilistic sample of 1104 medical students of two Spanish medical schools completed a socio-demographic and the Spanish JSE-S. Descriptive statistics, along with a confirmatory factor analysis, the average variance extracted (AVE), Cronbach's alphas and composite reliability (CR) coefficients were computed. An independent samples t-test was performed to access sex differences. RESULTS: The Spanish JSE-S demonstrated acceptable to good sensitivity (individual items - except for item 2 - and JSE-S total score: -2.72 < Sk < 0.35 and -0.77 < Ku < 7.85), convergent validity (AVE: between 0.28 and 0.45) and reliability (Cronbach's alphas: between 0.62 and 0.78; CR: between 0.62 and 0.87). The confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor solution and the second order latent factor model. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide support for the sensitivity, construct validity and reliability of the adapted Spanish JSE-S with Spanish medical students. Data confirm the hypothesized second order latent factor model. This version may be useful in future research examining empathy in Spanish medical students, as well as in cross-cultural studies.

Educational climate perception by preclinical and clinical medical students in five Spanish medical schools.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate student's perceptions of Educational Climate (EC) in Spanish medical schools, comparing various aspects of EC between the 2nd (preclinical) and the 4th (clinical) years to detect strengths and weaknesses in the on-going curricular reform. METHODS: This study utilized a cross-sectional design and employed the Spanish version of the "Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure" (DREEM). The survey involved 894 2nd year students and 619 4th year students from five Spanish medical schools. RESULTS: The global average score of 2nd year students from the five medical schools was found to be significantly higher (116.2±24.9, 58.2% of maximum score) than that observed in 4th year students (104.8±29.5, 52.4% of maximum score). When the results in each medical school were analysed separately, the scores obtained in the 2nd year were almost always significantly higher than in the 4th year for all medical schools, in both the global scales and the different subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The perception of the EC by 2nd and 4th year students from five Spanish medical schools is more positive than negative although it is significantly lower in the 4th year. In both years, although more evident in the 4th year, students point out the existence of several important "problematic educational areas" associated with the persistence of traditional curricula and teaching methodologies. Our findings of this study should lead medical schools to make a serious reflection and drive the implementation of the necessary changes required to improve teaching, especially during the clinical period.

Acquisition of learning outcomes by students from the Medical School of the University of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain): a student survey.

BACKGROUND: In 2001, in order to improve the curriculum, the medical school of the University of Barcelona began discussions aimed at defining specific learning outcomes for its medical graduates and, subsequently, evaluating the acquisition of these competencies. AIM: To report the views of our medical students regarding the extent to which they have acquired the learning outcomes previously defined by the faculty. METHOD: A questionnaire was administered to seventy final year students, who had finished all the course clerkships and they were asked to indicate on a Likert scale their perceived level of acquisition of each learning outcome. RESULTS: Overall, the students report an adequate level of competency and consider themselves able to meet skills targets under supervision in eight of the eleven domains investigated. In three of the domains (patient management, medical information search skills, and decision-making skills and clinical reasoning and judgment) students regarded themselves as only partially competent. These results agree with the global course score of the students, according to the medical school assessment system. CONCLUSIONS: The results will allow us to make curricular and methodological changes in order to implement a new outcome-based curriculum.

Medical education in Spain: current status and new challenges.

As in other countries, medical education in Spain is structured across three distinct stages: undergraduate or basic medical education; postgraduate specialized training; and continuing medical education. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the current state of these three stages, discussing the strengths and weaknesses and the challenges facing each one in the coming years, and how Spain can look to the international community to support change. We suggest that the undergraduate medical education system should be adapted to Spain's new social requirements and requires to be increasingly aligned with postgraduate training. We suggest that continuing medical education should develop its Continuous Professional Development programmes to ensure the permanent competence of Spanish medical professionals. The European Higher Education arena, as defined by the Bologna Declaration, provides many opportunities as well as a challenging situation for improving any current weaknesses in the Spanish medical education system.

Retos de la formación médica de grado / No disponible

No disponible

Planificar un currículum o un programa formativo / Planning a curriculum

Un currículum o un programa de formación, sea cual sea la etapa del continuum de la educación médica en la que se inscriba, no es simplemente el contenido del mismo o el listado de las materias y asignaturas que lo componen, o sus cargas lectivas y su ordenación por períodos lectivos ni la simple norma que pueda aparecer en un documento oficial. Actualmente, el concepto de currículum incluye otros muchos aspectos que han de tenerse en cuenta en su planificación. Así, habrá de considerarse las estrategias educativas a utilizar, los contenidos, los objetivos del programa y los resultados del aprendizaje, las experiencias educativas, el entorno educativo, la evaluación, los estilos y ritmos de aprendizaje y la programación de tareas. Este artículo es una introducción a los principios básicos de la planificación curricular, ofreciendo una visión general de las principales etapas a seguir en dicho proceso, en el bien entendido de que cada una de ellas requiere un mayor desarrollo y profundidad (AU)

A curriculum or a learning program, in the different steps of the medical education continuum can not be considered only as the contents or the subjects, or the amount of hours devoted to them and its schedule. Actually, the concept of curriculum includes different aspects that it is necessary to take in account in its planning. We can consider among these, the educational strategies, the curriculum content the educational objectives and the learning outcomes, the educational experiences and environment, assessment, the learning style and rhythms and the tasks planning. The purpose of this article is to serve as an introduction to the general principles of curriculum planning, providing a general vision of the different steps to follow in such process. Of course, each of these aspects can be developed more deeply (AU)

Defining the learning outcomes of graduates from the medical school at the University of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain).

It is generally accepted that medical schools must clearly define learning outcomes for their students. During the process of curriculum change initiated in 1990, Spanish medical schools introduced a range of general objectives but no specific outcomes were defined. In 2001, in an effort to improve its curriculum, the Medical School at the University of Barcelona decided to define the specific learning outcomes for its graduates. The process was carried out by a teachers' group, comprising individuals from different branches of medicine, drawing largely on the Outcome-based Education in Medicine model introduced by the Scottish Deans' Medical Curriculum Group (2000). Other different stakeholders were asked to give any suggestions for modifications in order to prepare a definitive document to be approved by the medical school. The whole process took two years to complete. The authors discuss the advantages of such a process for students, teachers and the institution.

Recursos educativos en Ciencias de la Salud / Educational Resources in Health Sciences

Este artículo resume la presentación realizada el día 26 de enero de 2004, en el marco del curso de Formación en Metodología de la Investigación organizado por el Instituto de Salud Carlos III. En concreto se revisan los aspectos a tener en cuenta al elaborar un programa formativo como son el proceso de definición de competencias, la elaboración de un programa docente, la elección de las metodologías y estrategias docentes y el rol del profesor (AU)

This report summarizes the presentation developed at the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, in Madrid, in January 2004, in a Research Methodology course. Elements as the definition of learning outcomes, the educational program development, the election of the best teaching and learning methods and the new roles of teachers are revised (AU)

Desarrollo de las competencias profesionales / The development of professional competencies

No disponible

Habilidades y procedimientos clínicos básicos a adquirir por los estudiantes de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Barcelona / Basic clinical skills and procedures to be acquired by the students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona

Las facultades de medicina deben definir las competencias que sus estudiantes han de adquirir a lo largo de su formación de pregrado, poner los medios necesarios para asegurar su adquisición y proceder a su evaluación. Esto ha de permitir que los estudiantes sepan lo que se espera de ellos al licenciarse, que los profesores puedan enmarcar su actividad docente y definir los criterios de evaluación de la adquisición de los objetivos. Este trabajo describe el proceso de definición de las habilidades correspondientes al nivel técnico de competencias y en especial las referidas a la anamnesis y exploración física y a los procedimientos clínicos básicos en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Barcelona. Se han definido 93 habilidades de exploración física y 47 procedimientos clínicos. Asimismo, se presentan los resultados de una encuesta realizada a los estudiantes del sexto año de la primera promoción de plan nuevo, para valorar su opinión sobre el grado de adquisición de las diferentes habilidades. El estudio pone de manifiesto las áreas deficitarias y facilita la elección de la estrategia más adecuada para mejorar su adquisición. La definición de las habilidades y los procedimientos clínicos básicos ha de permitir hacer más efectiva la enseñanza clínica y que su evaluación sea más objetiva (AU)