Bridging Culture and Language: Encouraging Bilingual/Multicultural Individuals to Act as Information Navigators for Their Loved-Ones and Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Linguistically diverse communities face barriers to receiving appropriate health information. COVID-19 exacerbated these health-communication inequities. University of Washington researchers surveyed bilingual staff, students, and medical interpreters - desiring training to become effective communicators of COVID-19 information to their social networks and language communities. In response, the COVID-19 Information Navigator Training was developed and pre-tested with professional networks and members of the target audience. The final training comprised three interactive modules and short quizzes. Evaluation surveys measured Information Navigators' confidence in providing COVID-19 information to their social networks. Surveys included questions on the participants' language or cultural community, the perceived value of the training, and their ability to communicate COVID-19 information. Among 393 participants who enrolled in the training, 284 completed the survey. Significant differences in confidence before and after the course were found in detecting COVID misinformation in the news and social media (pre-course mean: 3.83, post-course mean: 4.63; absolute mean difference was 0.82 points higher in the post-evaluation on the 5-point likert scale, 95% CI: 0.70-0.93, p < .01). Training multicultural volunteers to disseminate information to their social networks is a promising strategy for reaching linguistically diverse communities with up-to-date information during health emergencies.

Honoring the Care Experiences of Chinese Canadian Survivors of Prostate Cancer to Cultivate Cultural Safety and Relationality in Digital Health: Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer for Canadian men and has one of the highest 5-year survival rates, straining systems to provide care. Virtual care can be one way to relieve this strain, but survivors' care needs and technology use are influenced by intersecting social and cultural structures. Cultural adaptation has been posited as an effective method to tailor existing interventions to better serve racialized communities, including Chinese men. However, cultural adaptations may inadvertently draw attention away from addressing structural inequities. OBJECTIVE: This study used qualitative methods to (1) explore the perceptions and experiences of Chinese Canadian PCa survivors with follow-up and virtual care, and (2) identify implications for the cultural adaptation of a PCa follow-up care app, the Ned (no evidence of disease) Clinic. METHODS: An axiology of relational accountability and a relational paradigm underpinned our phenomenologically informed exploratory-descriptive qualitative study design. A community-based participatory approach was used, informed by cultural safety and user-centered design principles, to invite Chinese Canadian PCa survivors and their caregivers to share their stories. Data were inductively analyzed to explore their unmet needs, common experiences, and levels of digital literacy. RESULTS: Unmet needs and technology preferences were similar to broader trends within the wider community of PCa survivors. However, participants indicated that they felt uncomfortable, unable to, or ignored when expressing their needs. Responses spoke to a sense of isolation and reflected a reliance on culturally informed coping mechanisms, such as "eating bitterness," and familial assistance to overcome systemic barriers and gaps in care. Moreover, virtual care was viewed as "better than nothing;" it did not change a perceived lack of focus on improving quality of life or care continuity in survivorship care. Systemic changes were identified as likely to be more effective in improving care delivery and well-being rather than the cultural adaptation of Ned for Chinese Canadians. Participants' desires for care reflected accessibility issues that were not culturally specific to Chinese Canadians. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese Canadian survivors are seeking to strengthen their connections in a health care system that provides privacy and accessibility, protects relationality, and promotes transparency, accountability, and responsibility. Designing "trickle-up" adaptations that address structural inequities and emphasize accessibility, relationality, and privacy may be more effective and efficient at improving care than creating cultural adaptations of interventions.

Differences in Health Technology Assessment Recommendations Among European Jurisdictions: The Role of Practice Variations.

BACKGROUND: Health technology assessment (HTA) plays an important role in reimbursement decision-making in many countries, but recommendations vary widely throughout jurisdictions, even for the same drug. This variation may be due to differences in the weighing of evidence or differences in the processes or procedures, which are known as HTA practices. OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into the effects of differences in practices on interpretation of intercountry differences in HTA recommendations for conditionally approved drugs. METHODS: HTA recommendations for conditionally approved drugs (N = 27) up until June 2017 from England/Wales, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland were included. Recommendations and practice characteristics were extracted from these five jurisdictions and this data was validated. The effect of nonsubmissions, resubmissions, and reassessments; cost-effectiveness assessments; and price negotiations on changes in the percentage of negative recommendations and the interpretation of intercountry differences in HTA outcomes were analyzed using Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: The inclusion of cost-effectiveness assessments led to significant increases in the proportion of negative recommendations in England/Wales (from 4% to 50%, P<.01) and Scotland (from 21% to 71%, P<.01). The subsequent inclusion of price negotiations led to significant reductions in the proportion of negative recommendations in England/Wales (from 50% to 14%, P<.01), France (from 31% to 3%, P=.012), and Germany (from 34% to 0%, P<.01). Results indicated that the inclusion of nonsubmissions and resubmissions might affect Scottish negative HTA recommendations (from 7% to 21%), but this effect was not significant. No significant effects were observed in the Netherlands, possibly owing to sample size. CONCLUSION: Variations in HTA practices between international jurisdictions can have a substantial and significant impact on conclusions about recommendations by HTA bodies, as exemplified in this cohort of conditionally approved products. Studies comparing international HTA recommendations should carefully consider possible practice variations between jurisdictions.

Role of Culture, Values, and Politics in the Implementation of Health Technology Assessment in India: A Commentary.

India is a diverse land with different cultures, social norms, castes, religions, faiths, languages, politics, and a complex healthcare system. As a step to enhance healthcare, the government of India announced a move toward universal health coverage to increase accessibility and affordability of health-related services. Recently, there has been an introduction of health technology assessment (HTA) in India to help inform evidence-based decision making in cases of limited resources and budgets. Nevertheless, there are challenges related to biased decision making, an unregulated healthcare framework, and the lack of data and capacity that will (directly or indirectly) affect the use of HTA in India. For HTA to be successful in India and in similar low- and middle-income countries, it is important that the decision makers acknowledge these challenges and embrace differences in ideologies, cultures, and politics instead of ignoring them. Drawing lessons from countries with well-developed HTA bodies may help, but these need to be modified for the country-specific context. Ensuring quality and transparency is key to building trust in medical decision making. Improved coordination at all levels of healthcare is vital to ensure the long-term success of HTA in India. This is challenging but achievable by spreading awareness among stakeholders and achieving moderate health-sector regulation that can combat corruption. HTA will prosper in India if it incorporates cultural and institutional diversity, alongside tackling socioeconomic inequalities.

Creating Safe Spaces: A Community Health Worker-Academic Partnered Approach to Addressing Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a persistent public health problem in the United States, with an estimated one in three women experiencing rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner within her lifetime. Non-Hispanic Black women disproportionately experience IPV, but there has been limited success in implementing culturally appropriate prevention programs and services for members of this population. Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted members of under-resourced communities who provide reliable health information and improve the cultural appropriateness of service delivery and may be a vital resource for developing new IPV interventions. Guided by the principles of community partnered participatory research, we developed the CHW-led Safe Spaces project, which aimed to establish a strong academic-community partnership to focus on issues related to experiences of IPV and the prevention of IPV in New Orleans. In this article, we describe the development of our partnership including the formation of an advisory board, creation of a broad-based stakeholder coalition, offering a community partnered participatory research training, conducting IPV education and outreach, and establishing a research agenda. Our processes are replicable and lessons learned may be relevant to other groups seeking to address IPV by leveraging the strengths of community-academic collaborations and CHWs.

It Takes More than a Village: Building a Network of Safety in Nepal's Mountain Communities.

Purpose This report from the field details the ways that one small maternal child health NGO, which began its work in Tibet and now works in the mountain communities of Nepal, has established a model for integrated healthcare delivery and support it calls the "network of safety." Description It discusses some of the challenges faced both by the NGO and by the rural mountain communities with whom it partners, as well as with the government of Nepal. Conclusion This report describes and analyzes successful efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality in a culturally astute, durable, and integrated way, as well as examples of innovation and success experienced by enacting the network of safety model.

A cross-sectional study exploring equity of access to telehealth in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in a major health service.

Objectives The utilisation of telehealth among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia remains unexplored. We aimed to describe telehealth (telephone and videoconference) utilisation within a major health service and identify sociodemographic factors that may contribute to limited telehealth access. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed using service activity data from four metropolitan hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Outpatient department data (January to December 2021) were examined. These data included patients (N = 153 427) of all ages who had an outpatient appointment within 10 speciality services (i.e. Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Immunology and Psychology) that were the most frequent videoconference users. This study measured telehealth utilisation across the four tertiary hospitals and its association with sociodemographic factors. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used. Multivariate regression models were adjusted by sex, socioeconomic level and language use. Results Overall, 39% of appointments were delivered through telehealth, with 65% of all reported telehealth services involving a telephone consultation. People who required interpreter services were 66% less likely to use telehealth services (OR adjusted 0.33, 95% CI 0.31-0.36, P P Conclusion There is a gap in Australian telehealth service use for people with culturally diverse backgrounds and limited English proficiency. This study highlights a critical need to determine how people from culturally diverse backgrounds would like to engage with digital care options such as telehealth and the necessary support to enable this.

Geriatric Engineering: An Engineering Systems Design Approach to Human Aging.

This article explores the development of an interdisciplinary Geriatric Engineering 5-year Bachelor of Science degree program. The process evolved over 5 years and began with exploring the need, precedents, and data acquisition from target individuals 60 to 92 years of age. The economics of aging necessitates training engineers to design and implement systems that drastically reduce costs. The literature search confirmed the need for medical and engineering collaboration. The precedents for a medical-engineering curriculum were found to exist in several graduate MD/MS Engineering programs. Finally, data were gathered from several hundred over 60-year olds, via a research questionnaire and interviews that supported that technology assistance to promote independent living was desired by a significant portion of older individuals. With confirmatory data in hand, geriatric engineering courses were introduced in 2017 at an engineering college. Feedback of more than 100 students who completed these courses was positive. An Advisory Board, composed of medical companies, hospitals, and target population individuals, supported a Geriatrics Engineering minor. The college's undergraduate curriculum committee then established a minor in Geriatric Engineering in 2019, as the next logical step in the process toward developing a bachelor's degree. In conclusion, student feedback from several years of Geriatric Engineering courses, data from individuals over 60 and an advisory board support the next step of creating a Geriatric Engineering Bachelor's degree. Student evaluations/perceptions of the courses were positive. Data and feedback indicate that there is a need for a dedicated undergraduate Geriatric Engineering program.

Effectiveness of a culturally appropriate nutrition educational intervention delivered through health services to improve growth and complementary feeding of infants: A quasi-experimental study from Chandigarh, India.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a major public health problem in India, especially among urban poor children. The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate nutrition educational intervention that can be delivered through health services and digitized child undernutrition tracking module for health workers to improve complementary feeding of infants of age six months to 12 months in Chandigarh, North India, to prevent malnutrition in infants. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a non-randomized intervention (Burail) and control area (Maloya) among a vulnerable population in Chandigarh, North India. The mother-infant dyads (MIDs) in the intervention group(n = 202) received culturally appropriate nutrition educational intervention, were supported individually by trained health workers in infant feeding and followed up for six months. Health workers were monitored through a digitized tracking module. The MIDs in the control group (n = 202) received routine care under the national health program. The mean (±S.D.) age of infants in the intervention and control group was 5.4 (±0.8) months and 5.5 (±0.7) months, respectively. The data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and anthropometry of infants at baseline and end line. The primary outcome was a mean change in weight. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured by conducting the difference in difference (DID) analysis in mean change in weight between intervention and control group. RESULT: At baseline, the mean (±S.D.) weight of infants was 6.6(±0.64) kg and 6.6 (±0.52) kg in the intervention and control group. The mean (±S.D.) length of infants was 64.3 (±2.0) cm in the intervention group and 65.1 (±1.7) cm in the control group. Out of 404, 190 and 191 MIDs in the intervention and control group completed the study, respectively. A significantly higher number of infants in the intervention group were started on complementary feeding at six months of age (72.6% versus45.5%, p<0.01) and received foods having thick consistency (82.1% versus 41.9%, p<-0.01). There was significant weight gain in intervention group infants (DID means = 0.27 kg, p<0.01) and length gain (DID means = 0.9 cm, p<0.01) from the baseline. Also, there was significant decline in the proportion of undernourished (10% versus18.8%, OR = 0.47, p = 0.01) and wasted infants (7.3% versus15.7%, OR = 0.42, p = 0.01) in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Community-based nutrition educational intervention delivered through the routine health services and digitized tracking of malnourished children can effectively improve the complementary feeding and growth of children six months to one year among vulnerable populations.

A Qualitative Cultural Sensitivity Assessment of the Breathe Easier Mobile Application for Lung Cancer Survivors and Their Families.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cultural sensitivity of the Breathe Easier mobile health application for African American lung cancer survivors and their families. Breathe Easier is an intervention designed to teach strategies to combat symptoms related to lung cancer. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: 12 African American lung cancer survivors and their family members were recruited from an American College of Surgeons-approved cancer program in South Carolina. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Participants completed in-depth interviews, which were guided by the Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool and the Cultural Sensitivity Checklist. Two researchers performed open and axial coding to conceptually organize the data. FINDINGS: Multiple culturally relevant themes emerged, including benefits, concerns, and suggestions related to content literacy and inclusiveness, as well as acceptability of and motivations for using the mobile application. However, lung cancer survivors and their family members reported being more concerned about accessing accurate survivorship information. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Attention to health literacy, eHealth literacy, and cultural sensitivity may enhance patient outcomes, and nurses can advocate for patients regarding these communication issues.

Aplicativo móvel de auxílio à captação de materiais recicláveis: desenvolvimento centrado no usuário / Mobile application to assist recyclable materials: user-centred development / Aplicación móvil para ayudar a materiales reciclables: desarrollo centrado en el usuario

Objetivo: Desenvolver um aplicativo móvel de auxílio à captação de materiais recicláveis. Métodos: Estudo metodológico, de desenvolvimento tecnológica centrado no usuário, realizado entre março e dezembro de 2020, a partir de cinco fases sequenciais: reconhecimento do contexto; idealização; prototipação; teste de usabilidade, complementado por um processo de validação e implementação. Participaram dessa produção tecnológica pesquisadores, desenvolvedores e integrantes de uma Associação de Materiais Recicláveis de Santa Maria, RS, Brasil. Resultados: As três fases iniciais resultaram num protótipo de aplicativo móvel. Na fase do teste de usabilidade verificouse, por meio de simulação intuitiva do protótipo, que o aplicativo é de manejo acessível, rápido e prático, podendo ser acessado por qualquer cidadão que dispõem de celular. Constatou-se, no processo de validação, que o dispositivo possui os requisitos necessários para o adequado funcionamento e interlocução entre doadores e associações receptoras de materiais recicláveis. Está disponível online após obter registro no Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial. Conclusão: Revela-se que o desenvolvimento centrado no usuário é uma estratégia que amplia a difusão de conhecimento, possibilita a inclusão social e favorece o empoderamento. Como tecnologia social, o dispositivo móvel é capaz de potencializar melhores condições de trabalho e renda às associações de reciclagem. (AU)

Objective: To develop a mobile application to help the collection of recyclable materials. Methods: This is a methodological study, of user-oriented technological production, carried out between March and December 2020, from five phases: context recognition; idealization; prototyping; usability testing, complemented by a process of validation and implementation. Researchers, developers, and members of a Recyclable Materials Association in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, participated in the collaborative production. Results: The three initial phases resulted in a prototype mobile application. In the usability test phase it was verified, through intuitive simulation of the prototype, that the application is accessible, fast and practical, and can be accessed by any citizen with a cell phone. It was verified, in the validation process, that the device has the necessary requirements for the proper functioning and dialogue between donors and associations that receive recyclable materials. It is available online after being registered with the National Institute of Industrial Property. Conclusion: It is revealed that user-centered development is a strategy that expands the dissemination of knowledge, enables social inclusion, and favors empowerment. As a social technology, the mobile device is capable of potentiating better work and income conditions for recycling associations. (AU)

Objetivo: Desarrollar una aplicación móvil para ayudar a capturar materiales reciclables. Métodos: Consiste en un estudio metodológico de producción tecnológica orientada hacia el usuario, ocurrido entre marzo y diciembre de 2020, basado en cinco fases: reconocimiento del contexto; idealización; creación de prototipos; prueba de usabilidad, complementada un proceso de validación e implementación. Participaron en la producción colaborativa investigadores, desarrolladores y miembros de una Asociación de Materiales Reciclables de Santa María, RS, Brasil. Resultados: Las tres fases iniciales resultaron en un prototipo de aplicación móvil. En la fase de prueba de usabilidad, se verificó, por medio de una simulación intuitiva del prototipo, que la aplicación es de uso accesible, rápida y práctica, y puede ser accedida por cualquier ciudadano que disponga de un teléfono celular. Se constató, en el proceso de validación, que el dispositivo cuenta con los requisitos necesarios para el correcto funcionamiento y diálogo entre donantes y asociaciones receptoras de materiales reciclables. Está disponible en línea tras obtener el registro en el Instituto Nacional de Propiedad Industrial. Conclusión: Resulta que el desarrollo centrado en el usuario es una estrategia que amplía la difusión del conocimiento, posibilita la inclusión social y favorece el empoderamiento. Como tecnología social, el dispositivo móvil es capaz de mejorar las condiciones laborales y los ingresos de las asociaciones de reciclaje. (AU)

Mapping the use of soft systems methodology for change management in healthcare: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: It is notoriously challenging to implement evidence-based care and to update and improve healthcare practices. One reason for the difficulty is the complexity of healthcare and the powerful influence of context on implementation and improvement efforts. Thus, there is a need for multifaceted, flexible change methods that takes these complexities into consideration. One approach that has the potential in this regard is soft systems methodology (SSM). However, little is known about how SSM has been applied in healthcare settings, making it difficult to assess the usefulness of SSM for implementation science or improvement research. The aim of the proposed scoping review is to examine and map the use and outcomes of SSM in healthcare. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review will adapt the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Citations will be uncovered through a comprehensive database search of the peer-reviewed literature. Two reviewers will conduct a two-stage review and selection process where the titles/abstracts are examined followed by a screening of full texts of the selected citations. Reference lists of included citations will be snowballed to identify potential additional citations. Inclusion criteria are English language, peer-reviewed empirical papers focusing on the application of SSM in a healthcare setting. Both general information about the citations and information related to the objective of the review will be extracted from the included citations and entered into a data charting form. The extracted information will be reported in diagrams and tables and summarised to present a narrative account of the literature. The proposed review will provide information on the potential for using SSM to affect change in healthcare. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No primary data will be collected, and thus ethical permission is unnecessary. Dissemination of results include peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Smartphone-Based Health Technologies for Dementia Care: Opportunities, Challenges, and Current Practices.

Most of the 5.4 million people affected by Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia (AD) are noninstitutionalized, receiving care by unpaid family caregivers and medically managed by a primary care provider (PCP). Health Information Technology has been recognized for its potential in improving efficiency and quality of AD care and support for AD caregivers. Simultaneously, smartphone technologies have become an increasingly common way to deliver physical and behavioral health care. However, little is known about how smartphone technologies have been used to support AD caregiving and care. This article highlights the current need for smartphone-based interventions for AD and systematically identified and appraised current smartphone apps targeting and available for AD caregivers. Findings indicate that individual available apps have limited functions (compared with the complex needs of caregivers) and little has been done to extend AD caregiving apps to Hispanic populations. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Stakeholder valuation of soil ecosystem services from New Zealand's planted forests.

The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences among stakeholders in the values they attribute to soil ecosystem services from plantation forests in New Zealand. Groups of forest-associated stakeholders were identified (e.g. land owners, forest owners, wood processors, and recreational forest users) and surveyed to assess their cultural background (indigenous New Zealand Maori or not) and then the relative importance they placed on 10 forest soil ecosystem services. Across all survey respondents, very high importance was placed on the ability of soils to sustain forest growth across multiple plantings/rotations (sustainable production). Interestingly, this was more highly valued than maximising short-term production. Maori placed greater importance on forest ecosystem resilience, provenance and kaitiakitanga (sensu stewardship of resources), water quality, and harvest of food and/or medicines from forests than non-Maori. These results demonstrate inherent cultural differences in valuing the range of forest ecosystem services that soils support. It is important that cultural views are understood and integrated into future soil health testing schemes to reflect the needs of all stakeholders. Ultimately, this work will help increase the sustainability of planted forest ecosystems in New Zealand, ensure the forestry sectors social licence to operate, and add value to forest products by demonstrating environmental and cultural stewardship of forest products.

Motivating people to sustain healthy lifestyles using persuasive technology: A pilot study of Korean Americans with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of a hybrid model of the self-help intervention program (hSHIP), which combines a mobile version of SHIP (mSHIP) and personal coaching, to address unique cultural and motivational factors for optimal self-management of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among Korean Americans (KAs). METHODS: A single-group feasibility study design was used. The hSHIP utilizes texts and motivational counseling based on well-tested intervention content for KAs. To facilitate the dissemination of hSHIP, we developed a web application adopting the principles of persuasive technology to motivate behavior changes. RESULTS: Feasibility assessment found that hSHIP was well accepted by both participants and community health workers who delivered the intervention. An average of 1.3% A1C reduction (from 7.8% to 6.5%) was achieved by KAs with diabetes (n = 165), 51.5% of whom lowered their A1C below 6.5% in 6-months. No one with prediabetes (n = 50) progressed to diabetes. Other clinical outcomes (e.g., weight, depression, and blood pressure) also improved significantly; 41.2% were able to reduce or discontinue antidiabetic drugs. CONCLUSION: The feasibility and initial efficacy of hSHIP were demonstrated. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: This hybrid diabetes self-management model is a viable tool for traditionally underserved groups with diabetes or prediabetes.

1.9-million- and 2.4-million-year-old artifacts and stone tool-cutmarked bones from Ain Boucherit, Algeria.

East Africa has provided the earliest known evidence for Oldowan stone artifacts and hominin-induced stone tool cutmarks dated to ~2.6 million years (Ma) ago. The ~1.8-million-year-old stone artifacts from Ain Hanech (Algeria) were considered to represent the oldest archaeological materials in North Africa. Here we report older stone artifacts and cutmarked bones excavated from two nearby deposits at Ain Boucherit estimated to ~1.9 Ma ago, and the older to ~2.4 Ma ago. Hence, the Ain Boucherit evidence shows that ancestral hominins inhabited the Mediterranean fringe in northern Africa much earlier than previously thought. The evidence strongly argues for early dispersal of stone tool manufacture and use from East Africa or a possible multiple-origin scenario of stone technology in both East and North Africa.

Desarrollo del inglés oral a través del aprendizaje a distancia y las nuevas tecnologías / Developing oral English through distance learning and new technologies

Fundamento: La enseñanza del idioma inglés constituye una prioridad en la preparación integral de los profesionales de la salud. En las circunstancias actuales la modalidad de educación a distancia es una vía para garantizar la continuidad del proceso docente-educativo en la educación médica superior. Objetivo: Diseñar para su implementación un sistema de tareas docentes que contribuya a desarrollar la habilidad de expresión oral en inglés a través de la educación a distancia en los estudiantes de 2.do año de Medicina. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio experimental en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Holguín durante el período de marzo hasta septiembre de 2021. Se utilizó el método dialéctico materialista como concepción metodológica general de la investigación y se emplearon otros del nivel teórico: análisis y síntesis, inducción-deducción, sistémico-estructural-funcional, histórico-lógico y modelación; empíricos: análisis documental, encuesta, observación de clases, y estadísticos. Resultados: Las principales dificultades estuvieron relacionadas con limitaciones en el tratamiento de la expresión oral en inglés, la insuficiente preparación de los estudiantes en torno a la temática abordada y sus limitaciones en la habilidad de expresión oral en este idioma, por lo que se elaboró un sistema de tareas docentes para solucionar estos aspectos. Conclusiones: Los especialistas valoraron el sistema como adecuado por su estructura y factibilidad de implementación, contribuyó de forma efectiva en la consolidación de la formación cultural y en el plano motivacional.

Background: English language teaching is a priority in the comprehensive preparation of medical professionals. In the current circumstances, distance education is a way to continue the teaching-learning process in higher medical education. Objective: To design for its implementation a system of learning tasks aimed at developing oral expression skills in English through distance education in 2.nd year medical students. Methodology: It was adopted the materialist dialectical method as the general methodological conception of the research, and other methods, from the theoretical level: analysis and synthesis, induction-deduction, systemic-structural-functional, historical-logical and modeling; empirical: documentary analysis, survey, class observation and statistical procedures. Result: The main difficulties were related to the limitations in the treatment of the oral expression in the English language, insufficient preparation of the students on the analyzed topic and their limited ability to develop oral expression in this language, so a system of learning tasks was developed to solve these aspects. Conclusions: The experts considered the system adequate in terms of its structure and feasibility of implementation, contributing effectively to the consolidation of cultural training and at the motivational level.