An intervention to determine the effectiveness of the Sanubari optimal health program (OHP) in improving mental well-being among junior doctors in Malaysia: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems among junior doctors in Malaysia pose a significant concern, as they not only adversely affect their overall well-being but also impact the quality of health services they provide. Therefore, it is important to implement interventions aimed at preserving their mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Sanubari Optimal Health Program (OHP) intervention in enhancing the mental well-being of junior doctors in Malaysia. METHODS: The study utilised a quasi-experimental design involving 204 junior doctors who participated in the intervention. The Sanubari OHP Intervention Package was employed alongside self-administered questionnaires for mental health and well-being assessment. To evaluate the effects over time, repeated measures ANOVA was employed to analyse within-group and between-group changes in various endpoints, as measured at different assessment time points. RESULTS: The study revealed that self-efficacy and adaptive coping behaviours scores increased over time among the intervention group and decreased among the control group. Yet, depression and anxiety scores decreased significantly over time among the intervention group but not in the control group. No significant differences were observed in well-being and maladaptive coping strategies among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed promising results regarding the effectiveness of Sanubari OHP in improving mental well-being among junior doctors.

["Junior Doctor" in Plastic Surgery, a new status. Evaluation of the practices after one semester of application of the reform]. / Docteur Junior en chirurgie plastique, un nouveau statut. Évaluation des pratiques après un semestre d'application de la réforme.

INTRODUCTION: The reform of the third cycle of medical studies in 2017 led to the creation of the status of "Junior Doctor", corresponding to the consolidation phase and allowing increasing autonomy and supervision from the intern. In plastic surgery, this status appeared for the first time in November 2021 in French hospitals; it lasts two years and succeeds the first four years of internship. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We sent a self-questionnaire by email in May 2022 to the 21 French Junior Doctors. This was interested in their training ground, formation program, consultation activity, operating program, integration into the on-call list, the existence of half-days of availability, and their general opinion on this reform and its implementation. RESULTS: We collected 20 questionnaires with a sex ratio of twelve men for eight women. The majority of respondents worked in a university hospital (85 %). 45 % had their consultations, 60 % had their own operating sessions under general anesthesia, and 35 % under local anesthesia. Only 25 % of them considered this reform to be a step forward in terms of training. CONCLUSION: The introduction of the status of Junior Doctor is contrasted within the various hospitals. Despite the progressive and supervised autonomy provided by this reform, it is generally perceived neutrally or negatively by Junior Doctors. The establishment of own consultations and operating sessions stands out as a key positive element allowing better application of the reform.

The landscape of research during post-graduate medical training in New Zealand.

Formalised research opportunities offered to junior doctors in Australasia, and specifically New Zealand, are few and far in between. This is especially evident for interns in the first 2 years after graduation. Academic internships are positioned not only to fill this gap but also provide interns with long-lasting skills beyond the confines of academia.

The workplace and psychosocial experiences of Australian junior doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Junior doctors experience high levels of psychological distress and emotional exhaustion. The current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant changes to healthcare globally, with quantitative studies demonstrating increased fatigue, depression and burnout in junior doctors. However, there has been limited qualitative research to examine junior doctors' experiences, challenges and beliefs regarding management of future crises. AIMS: To investigate the workplace and psychosocial experiences of Australian junior doctors working during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Australian healthcare workers were invited to participate in a nationwide, voluntary, anonymous, single time point, online survey between 27 August and 23 October 2020. A qualitative descriptive study of responses to four free-text questions from 621 junior doctors was undertaken, with responses analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly female (73.2%), aged 31-40 years (48.0%) and most frequently reported working in medical specialties (48.4%), emergency medicine (21.7%) or intensive care medicine (11.4%). Most (51.9%) participants had 0-5 years of clinical experience since medical graduation. Junior doctors described experiences related to four key themes: a hierarchical, difficult workplace culture; challenging working conditions; disrupted training and career trajectories; and broader psychosocial impacts. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated longstanding, workplace issues and stressors for junior doctors and highlighted the threat that crises pose to medical workforce retention. There is an urgent need for authentic, positive workplace cultural interventions to engage, validate and empower junior doctors. CONCLUSIONS: Challenging workplace cultures and conditions, which have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, are associated with poor psychological well-being in junior doctors. There exists a need for long-term, widespread improvements in workplace culture and working conditions to ensure junior doctors' well-being, facilitate workforce retention and enhance the safety and quality of patient care in Australia.

The weekend effect in neurosurgery: the Leeds general infirmary experience.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, we have studied what the impact of the 2016 contract has been on the weekend mortality rate in a single UK Neurosurgery centre for emergency admissions. METHODS: All adult neurosurgery admissions and mortality data from Leeds General Infirmary in 2016 and 2018 was included. Weekday was defined as between 00:01 am Monday and 23:59 Friday. Weekend was defined as anything outside this timeframe. In the first part of the analysis, we excluded all public holiday admissions and compared mortality risks between weekday and weekend admissions. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the time to in-hospital death or censorship. From the model, we compared the hazard ratio of weekend-vs.-weekday admissions for 7-day, 30-day and overall mortalities as well as compared the hazard of mortality on each day of the week to Wednesday admission. In the second part of the analysis, we compared mortality risks of weekday admissions versus public holiday admissions. Finally, to further evaluate whether there was any change in service standard from 2016 to 2018, we assessed the odds ratio of mortality between admission in 2018 and 2016 on weekends and weekdays excluding public holidays. RESULTS: At 95% confidence interval, no significant difference in hazard ratio was found between admissions on different days in the week when compared to Wednesday in 2016 and 2018. There is a higher weekday admission 7-day mortality hazard ratio in 2018 compared to 2016 but overall there is no statistically significant difference in mortality hazard ratio between the two years. There is, however, a statistically significant difference in hazard ratio when comparing public holiday mortality in 2018 to weekday mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There was no weekend effect in our unit in 2016 or in 2018, however there is a public holiday effect in 2018.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Evidence-Based Practice in Psychiatry Core Trainees in Northwest England.

OBJECTIVE: Barriers and facilitators of evidence-based practice (EBP) in psychiatrists in training have only been researched with reference to prescribing decisions. We sought to quantitatively describe general EBP barriers and facilitators perceived by psychiatry core trainees (CTs) in England. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of CTs from a single English region in their 1st to 3rd year of specialist training (CT1-3) uses the EBP inventory, a 26-item questionnaire subdivided into the domains of attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), decision-making preferences, and intention and behavior. This was analyzed using a multiple indicators multiple causes model. RESULTS: The response rate was 42.9% (72/168 CTs). In all, domain's responses overall tended to be positive toward EBP. The most commonly reported barriers were rarely discussing research literature, feeling incapable of staying up to date, aversion to statistics, a preference for intuition or experience, and a perception that EBP disregards the individual differences between patients. Attitudes, norms, and behavior all loaded onto their intended factors. The decision-making factor was not present and PBC subdivided into 2 factors: clinical and knowledge self-efficacy. Regression coefficients for predicting behavior from the other factors were attitudes - 0.16 (p = 0.34), norms 0.34 (p = 0.24), clinical PBC - 0.28 (p = 0.10), and knowledge PBC 0.613 (p = 0.01). Additionally, question 5 (EBP respects individual patients) and question 13 (discusses research literature with colleagues) independently predicted behavior (ß = 0.388; p = 0.05 and ß = 0.433; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EBP intention and behavior were associated with perceiving EBP as relevant to individual patients, discussion about research with colleagues, and knowledge self-efficacy.

Assessing the preparedness of foundation year 1 (FY1) doctors during the transition from medical school to the foundation training programme.

BACKGROUND: To assess how ready current FY1 doctors felt when starting their first posting as newly qualified doctors. METHODS: We created an online survey where 45 FY1 doctors in South Yorkshire rated how confident they were across different domains (Induction and Assistantship, Hospital Systems, and Skills) using a scale ranging from 0 (no confidence performing task) to 5 (highly confident). RESULTS: The ICE system and observations had a mean rating of 3.645 (95% CI 3.446 to 3.844), and 4.425 (95% CI 4.248 to 4.602) with a standard deviation (SD) of 1.10 and 0.83 respectively. The radiological platform, referral system, telephone system, and hospital notes had a mean score of 3.149 (95% CI 2.876 to 3.422), 2.340 (95% CI 2.096 to 2.584), 3.573 (95% CI 3.407 to 3.739) and 4.061 (95% CI 3.931 to 4.191), with a SD of 1.281, 1.153, 0.961 and 0.752 respectively. Patient needs and diagnostic procedures had a mean score of 3.933 (95% CI 3.749 to 4.117) and 4.250 (95% CI 4.140 to 4.360) with a SD of 1.190 and 0.944 respectively. Patient care, prescribing, and therapeutic procedures gave a mean score of 3.634 (95% CI 3.432 to 3.836), 4.130 (95% CI 3.959 to 4.301), 3.386 (95% CI 3.228 to 3.544) with a SD of 1.133, 0.958 and 1.256 respectively. No statistically significant difference in the overall mean score was found between respondents who attended medical schools in Yorkshire, and those who had not. CONCLUSION: Overall, confidence differs across different domains and categories. A larger sample size across a wider geographical area would allow us to compare and contrast results across the different regions in the UK.

Quality improvement education for medical students: a near-peer pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement (QI) is an essential component of modern clinical practice. Front-line professionals offer valuable perspectives on areas for improvement and are motivated to deliver change. In the UK, all junior doctors are expected to participate in QI in order to advance to the next stage of their training. However, UK undergraduates receive no standardized training in QI methods. This is perpetuated within medical schools by a lack of teaching capacity and competing priorities, and may lead to tokenistic engagement with future QI projects. METHODS: We describe a near-peer teaching programme designed to introduce students to QI methods. This pilot study was conceived and delivered in full by junior doctors and used existing resources to ensure high quality teaching content. 111 fifth-year medical students from the University of Cambridge were taught in interactive, participative workshops that encourage them to develop their own QI change ideas and projects. Core topics included the model for improvement, driver diagrams, stakeholder engagement, measurement for improvement and analysing and presenting data. Students completed surveys before and immediately after this intervention to assess their understanding of and confidence in utilizing QI methods. Questionnaires were also completed by junior doctor tutors. RESULTS: Analysis of questionnaires completed before and immediately after the intervention revealed statistically significant improvements in students' self-reported understanding of QI (p < 0.05) and confidence in applying techniques to their own work (p < 0.05). Students expressed a preference for QI teaching delivered by junior doctors, citing a relaxed learning environment and greater relevance to their stage of training. Tutors reported increased confidence in using QI techniques and a greater willingness to engage with QI in future. CONCLUSIONS: In this single-centre study, near-peer teaching produced significant improvements in students' self-reported understanding of QI and confidence in applying QI methods. Near-peer teaching may constitute a sustainable means of teaching essential QI skills at undergraduate level. Future work must evaluate objective measures of student engagement with and competence in conducting QI.

Is seniority of emergency physician associated with the weekend mortality effect? An exploratory analysis of electronic health records in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: Admission to hospital over a weekend is associated with increased mortality, but the underlying causes of the weekend effect are poorly understood. We explore to what extent differences in emergency department (ED) admission and discharge processes, severity of illness and the seniority of the treating physician explain the weekend effect. METHODS: We analysed linked ED attendances to hospital admissions to Cambridge University Hospital over a 7-year period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013, with 30-day in-hospital death as the primary outcome and discharge as a competing risk. The primary exposure was day of the week of arrival. Subdistribution hazards models controlled for multiple confounders, including physician seniority, calendar year, mode of arrival, triage category, referral from general practice, sex, arrival time, prior attendances and admissions, diagnosis group and age. RESULTS: 229 401 patients made 424 845 ED attendances, of which 158 396 (37.3%) were admitted to the hospital. The case-mix of admitted patients was more ill at weekends: 2530 (6.4%) admitted at a weekend required immediate resuscitation compared with 6450 (5.4%) admitted on a weekday (p<0.0001). Senior doctors admitted 24.8% of patients on weekdays and 24.0% at weekends, but junior doctors admitted 61.7% of patients on weekdays and 44.2% at weekends. 3947 (3.3%) patients admitted on a weekday and 1454 (3.7%) patients admitted at a weekend died within 30 days. In the adjusted subdistribution hazards model, the HR of in-hospital death was 1.11 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.18) for weekend arrivals. After controlling for confounders, the in-hospital mortality of patients admitted by junior doctors was greater at the weekend (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.15, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.24). In-hospital mortality for patients admitted by senior doctors was not statistically different at the weekend (aHR 1.08, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.19). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the weekend effect was driven by a higher proportion of admitted patients requiring immediate resuscitation at the weekend. Junior doctors admitted a lower proportion of relatively healthy patients at the weekend compared with the weekday, thus diluting the risk pool of weekday admissions and contributing to the weekend effect. Senior doctors' admitting behaviour did not change at the weekend, and the corresponding weekend effect was reduced.

Transitioning to a general practice placement for the foundation doctor.

Time spent training in general practice can be highly beneficial for junior doctors irrespective of their future specialty choice. A large number of foundation year two doctors from the United Kingdom will undertake time in general practice as part of the compulsory Foundation Programme for new medical graduates following recommendations for all such rotations to include a community placement. For the majority, this will be their first time working in primary care post-qualification and this role will bring significant new clinical and professional challenges. In this article we give thirty points of advice for foundation doctors starting a general practice rotation and additional insight for their clinical supervisors, grouped into clinical, consultation related and general points, as informed by the authors' experience and an electronic survey of foundation doctors and general practice trainers.

Sharpening the focus on ophthalmology teaching: perceptions of medical students and junior medical officers.

IMPORTANCE: Worldwide, ophthalmology teaching is being reduced or eliminated from medical school curricula. The current state of ophthalmic teaching in Australia is unknown. BACKGROUND: To evaluate the perceptions of junior medical officers (JMOs) and medical students on ophthalmology teaching in Australian medical schools. DESIGN: Survey-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 838 JMOs and medical students from across Australia. METHODS: Fifty-six hospitals and 20 medical schools across Australia were contacted. Hardcopy and online surveys were distributed to participants at consenting institutions, evaluating the characteristics of ophthalmology teaching received during medical school and participant confidence in basic ophthalmological clinical skills and knowledge. Factor analysis was performed on confidence scores. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Likert scale confidence ratings, teaching methods encountered versus preferred. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-two (51.6%) surveys were received from JMOs and 406 (48.4%) from medical students. The most common form of teaching received were lectures (71.3% JMOs, 65.5% medical students), while the most preferred type were hospital tutorials (37.7% JMOs, 61.6% medical students). Mean confidence in ophthalmology-specific skills and knowledge topics were not high for medical students (skills: 2.66/5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.55-2.76; knowledge: 2.88/5, 95% CI = 2.80-2.96) and JMOs (skills: 2.52/5, 95% CI = 2.43-2.60; knowledge: 2.84/5, 95% CI = 2.77-2.91). Many participants voiced the need for more ophthalmology teaching, particularly clinically oriented opportunities. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: JMOs and medical students do not show high levels of confidence in basic ophthalmological clinical skills and knowledge, and report inadequate emphasis on ophthalmology during medical school.

The role of the smartphone in the transition from medical student to foundation trainee: a qualitative interview and focus group study.

BACKGROUND: The transition from medical student to junior doctor is one of the most challenging in medicine, affecting both doctor and patient health. Opportunities to support this transition have arisen from advances in mobile technology and increased smartphone ownership. METHODS: This qualitative study consisted of six in-depth interviews and two focus groups with Foundation Year 1 Trainees (intern doctors) and final year medical students within the same NHS Trust. A convenience sample of 14 participants was recruited using chain sampling. Interviews and focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, analysed in accordance with thematic analysis and presented below in keeping with the standards for reporting qualitative research. RESULTS: Participants represented both high and low intensity users. They used their smartphones to support their prescribing practices, especially antimicrobials through the MicroGuide™ app. Instant messaging, via WhatsApp, contributed to the existing bleep system, allowing coordination of both work and learning opportunities across place and time. Clinical photographs were recognised as being against regulations but there had still been occasions of use despite this. Concerns about public and colleague perceptions were important to both students and doctors, with participants describing various tactics employed to successfully integrate phone use into their practices. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that both final year medical students and foundation trainees use smartphones in everyday practice. Medical schools and healthcare institutions should seek to integrate such use into core curricula/training to enable safe and effective use and further ease the transition to foundation training. We recommend juniors are reminded of the potential risks to patient confidentiality associated with smartphone use.

The factors that influence junior doctors' capacity to recognise, respond and manage patient deterioration in an acute ward setting: An integrative review.

OBJECTIVES: Junior doctors are frequently the first doctor to be called by a nurse to review patients whose clinical status has declined in hospital wards, yet little is known about how well prepared they are to deal with this situation. This paper aims to identify the factors that influence junior doctors' early recognition and management of patient deterioration in an acute ward settings. METHOD: Integrative review methodology was used to allow for the inclusion of broad research designs, summarising current knowledge from existing research and identify gaps in the literature. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed method studies were included. An electronic database search including PubMed, Medline and Scopus was performed. Research articles, exploring junior doctors' skills specific to critically ill, or deteriorating patients, technical and non-technical skills and failure to rescue were included. FINDINGS: Thirty-three articles were included, of which eighteen were quantitative, six qualitative and nine mixed methods The majority of the studies, eighteen out of thirty-three, were from the United Kingdom. The evidence showed that the capacity for junior doctors to effectively deal with patient deterioration was influenced by: educational models that incorporated non-technical skills; the integration of high quality clinical simulation into education; and the level and type of supervision in the clinical environment. CONCLUSION: The factors that influence junior doctors' capacity to recognise, respond and manage patient deterioration in an acute ward settings are complex. This review indicates that there is substantial room for improvement in junior doctors' capacity to deal with patient deterioration. Evidence suggests preparation of junior doctors in the recognition and management of the deteriorating patient is influenced by effective simulation education and clinical experiential exposure over time. More accessible supervision for junior doctors in acute wards is recommended to avert error and delays in the appropriate escalation of care in the deteriorating patient.

A mixed-methods study of the causes and impact of poor teamwork between junior doctors and nurses.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to collect and analyse examples of poor teamwork between junior doctors and nurses; identify the teamwork failures contributing to poor team function; and ascertain if particular teamwork failures are associated with higher levels of risk to patients. DESIGN: Critical Incident Technique interviews were carried out with junior doctors and nurses. SETTING: Two teaching hospitals in the Republic of Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Junior doctors (n = 28) and nurses (n = 8) provided descriptions of scenarios of poor teamwork. The interviews were coded against a theoretical framework of healthcare team function by three psychologists and were also rated for risk to patients by four doctors and three nurses. RESULTS: A total of 33 of the scenarios met the inclusion criteria for analysis. A total of 63.6% (21/33) of the scenarios were attributed to 'poor quality of collaboration', 42.4% (14/33) to 'poor leadership' and 48.5% (16/33) to a 'lack of coordination'. A total of 16 scenarios were classified as high risk and 17 scenarios were classified as medium risk. Significantly more of the high-risk scenarios were associated with a 'lack of a shared mental model' (62.5%, 10/16) and 'poor communication' (50.0%, 8/16) than the medium-risk scenarios (17.6%, 3/17 and 11.8%, 2/17, respectively). CONCLUSION: Poor teamwork between junior doctors and nurses is common and places patients at considerable risk. Addressing this problem requires a well-designed complex intervention to develop the team skills of doctors and nurses and foster a clinical environment in which teamwork is supported.

Anatomy, radiology, and practical procedure education for foundation doctors in England: A National Observational Study.

There are concerns regarding the anatomy knowledge amongst medical school graduates and foundation doctors. Clinical procedures performed without relevant anatomical knowledge could result in serious harm to patients. The aim of this quantitative study was to assess education provision in the domains of anatomy, radiology and practical procedures for foundation year doctors during their first two years of training (FY1, FY2). A national survey of acute hospital trusts in England was conducted. Each trust completed a proforma relating to education provision for foundation year doctors between 6/8/2014 and 4/8/2015. A total of 95/161 (59%) acute hospital trusts in England responded. The mean number of teaching hours/year was 55.6±19.0 for FY1 and 57.3±30.4 hours/year for FY2. Anatomy education was provided in eight trusts with a mean of 2.3±1.0 hours/year for FY1 and 2.7±2.0 hours/year for FY2. The mean provision of practical procedure education was 2.2±1.3 hours/year for FY1 and 2.7±4.4 hours/year for FY2. The mean provision of radiology education was 10.5±18.7 hours/year for FY1 and 7.8±14.2 hours/year for FY2. Reasons for the lack of teaching included: lack of time, facilities, teaching staff, financial resources and absence of specific educational domains in the foundation curriculum. Medical education provision for foundation doctors is highly variable. There are wide discrepancies in postgraduate anatomy education, procedural skill training and radiology education between hospital trusts. Clin. Anat. 29:982-990, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An audit cycle of consent form completion: A useful tool to improve junior doctor training.

BACKGROUND: Consent for surgical procedures is an essential part of the patient's pathway. Junior doctors are often expected to do this, especially in the emergency setting. As a result, the aim of our audit was to assess our practice in consenting and institute changes within our department to maintain best medical practice. METHODS: An audit of consent form completion was conducted in March 2013. Standards were taken from Good Surgical Practice (2008) and General Medical Council guidelines. Inclusion of consent teaching at a formal consultant delivered orientation programme was then instituted. A re-audit was completed to reassess compliance. RESULTS: Thirty-seven consent forms were analysed. The re-audit demonstrated an improvement in documentation of benefits (91-100%) and additional procedures (0-7.5%). Additional areas for improvement such as offering a copy of the consent form to the patient and confirmation of consent if a delay occurred between consenting and the procedure were identified. CONCLUSION: The re-audit demonstrated an improvement in the consent process. It also identified new areas of emphasis that were addressed in formal teaching sessions. The audit cycle can be a useful tool in monitoring, assessing and improving clinical practice to ensure the provision of best patient care.

Reducing stress and burnout in junior doctors: the impact of debriefing sessions.

BACKGROUND: Internship and residency are difficult times with novice practitioners facing new challenges and stressors. Junior doctors may experience burnout, a syndrome that encompasses three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. While there is some existing literature on the prevalence of burnout in junior doctors, there are few studies on interventional strategies. AIMS: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of burnout in a cohort of junior doctors and whether debriefing sessions reduced levels of burnout. METHODS: A prospective randomised controlled study of a convenience sample of postgraduate year 1 doctors in a single hospital was undertaken during a rotation term in 2011. All participants completed a questionnaire using a validated tool, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, to determine the prevalence of burnout. They were then randomly assigned to a group who were to receive four debriefing sessions over 2 months, or, to the control group, who had no debriefing sessions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Thirty-one postgraduate year 1 doctors participated in the study, with 13 being assigned to the group receiving debriefing sessions and 18 assigned to the control group. At baseline, 21/31 (68%) participants displayed evidence of burnout in at least one domain as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Burnout was significantly higher in women. There was no significant difference in burnout scores with debriefing. The intervention was well received with 11/18 (61%) suggesting they would recommend the strategy to future junior doctors and 16/18 (89%) found that the sessions were a source of emotional and social support. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout is prevalent among postgraduate year 1 doctors, and they value the emotional and social support from attending debriefing sessions. A larger study is required to determine if debriefing can reduce the incidence of burnout in junior doctors.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of white coat use among medical students during clinical practice (LAUNDERKAP): A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies found white coats to be reservoirs for bacteria and medical students did not conform to proper hygiene measures when using these white coats. We investigated the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical students toward white coat use in clinical settings (LAUNDERKAP). METHODS: A validated, online-based survey was disseminated to 670 students from four Malaysian medical schools via random sampling. Scores were classified into good, moderate, or poor knowledge and practice, and positive, neutral, or negative attitude. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the relationship between demographic variables and knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. RESULTS: A total of 492/670 students responded (response rate: 73.4%). A majority showed negative attitudes (n = 246, 50%), poor knowledge (n = 294, 59.8%), and moderate practice (n = 239, 48.6%). Senior and clinical year students had more negative attitudes. Male students had higher knowledge, while students from private medical schools and preclinical years had better practice. There was a significant relationship between attitude and practice (r = 0.224, P < .01), as well as knowledge and practice (r = 0.111, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the need for more education to improve medical students' infection control practices. Our results can also guide decision-making among administrators on the role of white coats as part of medical student attire.

Want doctors to use VR simulation? Make it mandatory, accessible, educationally valuable, and enjoyable!

Background: Virtual reality (VR) simulation training is mandatory for postgraduate year 1-2 doctors at the author's hospital trust. Despite this, a preceding quantitative study demonstrated uptake below required levels. While the educational value of VR simulation has been highlighted, little attention has been paid to participant utilisation in postgraduate curricula. With the increasing development and incorporation of VR-based clinical education, it is essential to understand the factors influencing how frequently postgraduate doctors utilise it so that its potential can be maximised. Methods: A qualitative study design was employed. All 108 postgraduate year 1-2 doctors from the 2020-21 training year were invited for a semi-structured interview. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached in the form of informational redundancy. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: A total of 17 interviews were conducted. Four main themes that influenced participation in VR simulation were identified: (1) the mandatory nature encouraged participation but led to negative perceptions as a tick-box exercise; (2) there were multiple challenges to accessing the resource; (3) the scenarios were felt to have limited educational value; and (4) there was untapped potential in drawing benefits from VR as an enjoyable leisure activity. Conclusions: Recommendations from these findings include: (1) VR simulation should be mandatory but with a degree of learner autonomy; (2) sessions should be integrated into doctors' rotas as protected time; (3) more challenging scenarios ought to be created aligned with postgraduate courses, examinations, and specialty training, and (4) presented as a difficulty level system akin to gaming experiences.