RESUMEN
The clinical telephone helpline discussed here is a communication channel for family members and caregivers whose loved ones are in hospital. It makes full use of the effect families can have on the care experience and complements standard visiting as well as when hospital visits are restricted. The helpline helps to meet family members' health information and emotional wellbeing needs and is a reciprocal patient safety communication channel. Three main benefits have been identified. Flrst, communication between patients, relatives, communities and staff is enhanced. The helpline provides comprehensive patient clinical updates to relatives and caregivers using live digital healthcare records, and person-centred care is facilitated by patient-specific information being obtained by helpline clinicians from relatives. Second, it releases time to care. The helpline runs remotely, away from wards, enabling ward-based clinicians to prioritise direct patient care. Finally, clinical staff who are unable to work directly within wards maintain their active engagement in care provision, supporting relatives, patients and their ward-based colleagues.
Asunto(s)
Cuidadores , Pacientes Internos , Humanos , Cuidadores/psicología , Hospitales , ComunicaciónRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To improve 4 skills (communication, history-taking, past history-taking, and documentation) in medical students, we designed and pilot-tested a curriculum to teach a sample of Year 4 (Y4) students these skills and compared the clinical performance of these students with students not receiving the intervention. METHODS: The study focused on the new curriculum's effectiveness in enhancing students' performance of these skills. To minimize exposure across groups, participants were divided into intervention and control groups at random and placed in various classrooms. We evaluated each group's clinical competency 3 times: prior to the intervention, 9 weeks afterward, and 2 years later. RESULTS: There was no difference at baseline between the 2 groups. Immediately following the intervention, the mean score of the intervention group's skills was significantly higher than before and higher than the control group in each clinical skill. The performance difference between the 2 groups was maintained for 2 years following the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Following a 9-week curriculum, evaluators rated students' performance higher than their counterparts who learned these skills through standard informal exposure in the clinical setting. The fact that this performance advantage was maintained for 2 years following the intervention is a testament to the durability of the intervention and the value of dedicated training in these critical areas at an early point in students' clinical careers.
RESUMEN
Objective: The aim of the study was to find out whether it is possible to successfully convert a communication course for around 400 students to a blended-learning format (asynchronous theoretical course/synchronous digital practical course). The main focus thereby was on assessing subjective learning progress and the extent to which the importance of communication and doctor-patient communication can be conveyed online. The study is based on the results of an evaluation of the opinions of both the students and the lecturers that participated in the course. Methods: The students, who were in their fourth preclinical semester in 2020, were asked to fill in a self-assessment sheet at the beginning of the course, and following its completion. The feedback provided by the lecturers was also assessed. In order to compare the results and identify possible discrepancies, the corresponding self-assessment and evaluation results for the past 10 years (stemming from traditional classroom courses) were also taken into account. Results: Participants in the online courses reported distinct subjective learning progress, and greater progress than was reported for traditional courses in previous years. The suitability of the online format was viewed critically by both students and lecturers, while the course atmosphere was seen positively. The relevance of doctor-patient communication was assessed particularly highly in the online format. Conclusion: Based on the results of the evaluation, the experience gained from the blended-learning format will be included into future iterations of the communication course at Goethe University Frankfurt. The results have shown that doctor-patient communication can be learned well online. This format can therefore be recommended for new learning concepts in the future.
Asunto(s)
Comunicación , Relaciones Médico-Paciente , Humanos , Aprendizaje , Estudiantes , UniversidadesRESUMEN
This article highlights the vulnerability of people with dementia in the acute hospital setting, where they are more likely to experience clinical incidents such as falls, contract infections and be prescribed neuroleptic drugs. This patient group has a significantly longer length of hospital stay and higher mortality rate following discharge compared with those without dementia. As many as one third are discharged to institutionalised care. The article explores the knowledge gap concerning the complexity of caring for a person with dementia and highlights factors that can lead to staff detaching themselves from engaging in meaningful communication with patients. It also discusses the syndrome of 'cascade iatrogenesis' in relation to patients' physical and cognitive decline. More emphasis needs to be placed on addressing these issues to ensure the safety and welfare of people with dementia in hospitals. A case study from the author's clinical practice is used to illustrate the issues.