Background and Objective: The pandemic acted as an accelerator for the development of online teaching formats in anatomy and histology worldwide. The authors introduce a bridging program that reinforces the knowledge and understanding of gross and correlative anatomy and histology acquired in a virtual environment in preparation for its future clinical application. The study aims to evaluate the Learning Enhancement in Anatomy Program (LEAP) conducted among first-year medical students at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study aims to determine the initial experience of implementing a learning enhancement program and assess areas for its improvement. An internally validated questionnaire was given to students after the program to gauge students’ reactions (Kirkpatrick Level 1 evaluation). Pre- and post-tests were administered to evaluate knowledge acquisition (Kirkpatrick Level 2 evaluation). Short-term behavioral peer evaluation (Kirkpatrick Level 3 evaluation) was also instituted. Results: One hundred fifty-two (152) students participated in the study. General reactions from students to the LEAP were consistently positive, with a steady majority of the students rating ‘5’ or a ‘Strongly Agree’ to positive statements regarding the program. Higher ratings for more traditional teaching methods, such as cadavers, formalinized specimens, and bones, compared to virtual systems were apparent. However, inter-student variation in preference for teaching modalities was observed. All stations of the LEAP were evaluated satisfactorily, with most gross anatomy stations rated higher than histology stations. A significant increase was noted in the total post-test scores compared to pre-test scores. This improvement in test scores was observed in the anatomy and histology subcategories and in six of the seven organ system modules. Perceived behavioral outcomes were also generally positive. Conclusion The LEAP is a worthwhile endeavor, garnering overwhelmingly positive reactions and a significant improvement in test scores. Future studies are necessary to fine-tune teaching and training in a blended learning environment.
Anatomy ; COVID-19 ; Education, Medical ; Program Evaluation

Objectives: The Pharmacy DOTS Initiative (PDI) was relaunched on a larger scale in 2014 through the Innovations and Multi-Sectoral Partnerships to Achieve Control of Tuberculosis (IMPACT) project. This paper aimed to assess the PDI program through IMPACT by identifying the facilitating and hindering factors in its implementation. The identified factors are classified as to the affected stakeholders or processes.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the PDI Program Manager and four NTP coordinators from selected project sites. Thematic analysis was done to determine the recurring facilitating and hindering factors as identified by the key informants.

Results: Facilitating factors identified include cooperation of the stakeholders, capability-building and a good referral system. The barriers to the implementation were grouped into patient-related, pharmacy-related, health center-related, program-related as well as external factors.

Conclusion: The referral system created through PDI facilitated the flow of referrals starting from the pharmacy. This enabled presumptive patients to have access to health facilities for TB. Hindering factors contributed to the inability of the engaged pharmacies to sustain their consistency and commitment in conducting the PDI interventions.

Key Words: barriers, facilitators, tuberculosis, directly observed therapy, program evaluation, pharmacy

Objective: To analyze the work indicators of China Comprehensive AIDS Response Program (China CARES) and provide reference for future work of the program. Methods: The scores of each indicator were calculated, and different scores among different types of program areas were compared. The M(Q₁,Q₃) was used to describe the score of each indicator. The entropy weight method was used to calculate the composite score of each indicator and the composite score was translated into a 100-point system and compared among indicators. Results: In terms of the first-level indicators, organizational leadership and management (96.0 points), publicity and education (94.0 points), and innovative strategies and measures (98.0 points) got relatively high scores; while comprehensive social governance of AIDS prevention (72.0 points) was with the lowest score. The scores of publicity and education and comprehensive intervention in county-level program areas were significantly lower than those in urban areas. For secondary indicators, the indicator with relatively lower scores included "condom use among female sex workers last time" (70.0 points)", "at least one local key population has an increase in the number of people receiving HIV testing compared with the previous year" (70.0 points)", "colleges and occupational schools set up AIDS-related self-service facilities" (65.0 points), "HIV testing among the arrested people suspected of prostitution, adultery, drug users and traffickers" (55.0 points) and "condom use among men who have sex with men during last episode" (50.0 points). The "indicator 3 comprehensive intervention" contributed most to the evaluation, while "indicator 7 innovation strategies and measures" played a minor role in the evaluation results. Conclusions: The overall situation of AIDS Response Program in 2020 was good, but the progress in different word areas was not yet balanced. The two areas of comprehensive intervention and comprehensive social governance of AIDS prevention should be strengthened. It is also suggested that relevant indicators be adjusted appropriately to improve evaluation indicators system and comprehensively promote the program.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; Homosexuality, Male ; Humans ; Male ; Program Evaluation ; Sex Workers ; Sexual and Gender Minorities

The Community Mental Health Program (CMHP) of the Center for Health Development Calabarzon is an initiative that aims to integrate mental health into primary care to facilitate person-centered and holistic services. At the core of CMHP is a referral pathway between health centers and tertiary-level mental health services for the diagnosis and continuing management of persons with mental health conditions, as well as the use of an innovative medication (specifically for schizophrenia). This commentary presents lessons learned from a one-year implementation of CMHP in four pilot sites in the provinces of Rizal and Laguna, which stakeholders in mental health may consider in the design of community-based mental health programs to further the mandate of the Mental Health Act.
Schizophrenia ; Mental Health Services ; Program Evaluation ; Paliperidone Palmitate

OBJECTIVES: A Womans University College of Medicine faces curriculum reform in 2020. To determine what reforms are needed in the premedical curriculum, a needs assessment was conducted.METHODS: This study utilizes qualitative study method. A focus group interview was conducted with four students who completed premedical courses from November to December 2018. Interviews were conducted in two groups by grade level, and each interview was recorded. After transcribing the recorded contents, four researchers analyzed the data using conventional content analysis.RESULTS: Students chose A Womans University College of Medicine considering their future careers as female medical professionals and other considerations such as scholarships. The students expected diverse experiences, exchanges with students in different departments, and fusion of medicine with other fields during their premedical years. Overall, these expectations were met during the course, but individual needs for customized education, such as liberal arts, were unmet. In general, students' attitudes toward premedical courses were very motivated and they actively used resources provided by the university.CONCLUSION: Qualitative research can provide a better understanding of quantitative data, such as a student survey performed to prepare for curriculum reform. Based on this understanding, the curriculum will be reformed to reflect the educational needs of students, to motivate students and to provide satisfactory education.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Fellowships and Scholarships ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Methods ; Needs Assessment ; Program Evaluation ; Qualitative Research ; Students, Premedical

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that has continuously burdened Filipinos. Various programs have been launched by public and private sectors to decrease the incidence of TB and to scale up TB prevention and control in the country. In line with this, pharmacists have been contributing in the campaign against TB since 2004 through the implementation of the Pharmacy DOTS Initiative (PDI). Through the project Innovations and Multi-Sectorial Partnerships to Achieve Control of TB (IMPACT), PDI was relaunched in the country in 2014. Objectives: This case study aims to evaluate the impact of PDI on TB prevention and control by assessing the effectiveness of the technical assistance package rolled out during program implementation. Methods: A review of documents was done to evaluate the achievement of the specific targets of PDI. Results: Among the targets, the percentage of actively referring pharmacies and the number of referrals made throughout the program failed to meet the target. The remaining program targets such as the establishment of a referral system, training of pharmacy personnel, adoption of a TB DOTS curriculum in pharmacy schools, and presence of national legislation, policies, and guidelines relevant to PDI were satisfactorily met. Conclusion PDI had a good response at the start of its implementation, but several issues resulted in the inability to sustain the interventions and achieve set targets.
Tuberculosis ; Program Evaluation ; Case Reports

PURPOSE: Premedical education is one stage in which various educational approaches are used to promote critical thinking. Given that critical thinking ability could be regarded as one of the intended outcomes of social science and humanities education, this study explored the effectiveness of a course to promote critical thinking in a premedical curriculum using both literature and film. METHODS: Fifty-one 2nd year premedical students enrolled in a 'Critical Thinking for Premeds' course. Students were required to read or watch a selected material, submit group discussion agendas, attend five group discussion sessions, and write critical essays. Five tutors facilitated the group discussions, observed and assessed the students' performance and critical essay. Students' critical thinking disposition and opinion on assigned reading materials were examined before and after the course. A program evaluation survey was conducted to investigate the students' reaction after the course. RESULTS: On average, students appreciated 78.6% of the total assigned materials. The students indicated that group discussions and the narrative comments of facilitators contributed the most to develop critical thinking. After the course, the students' tendency preferring cheaper price books, as well as medicine-related books decreased significantly. Students who had critical essay scores greater than or equal to the median demonstrated a significant improvement in critical thinking disposition scores. CONCLUSION: The course was well-accepted by premedical students and had several positive outcomes. A more effective use of the course could be anticipated with a clearer explanation of the purpose, the consideration of previous reading experience, and use of complementary learning activities.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Premedical ; Humanities ; Humans ; Learning ; Program Evaluation ; Social Sciences ; Students, Premedical ; Thinking

OBJECTIVES: The Regional Cardiocerebrovascular Center (RCCVC) Project designated local teaching hospitals as RCCVCs, in order to improve patient outcomes of acute cardiocerebrovascular emergencies by founding a regional system that can adequately transfer and manage patients within 3 hours. We investigated the effects of RCCVC establishment on treatment volume and 30-day mortality. METHODS: We constructed a panel dataset by extracting all acute myocardial infarction cases that occurred from 2007 to 2016 from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service claims data, a national and representative source. We then used a panel fixed-effect model to estimate the impacts of RCCVC establishment on patient outcomes. RESULTS: We found that the number of cases of acute myocardial infarction that were treated increased chronologically, but when the time effect and other related covariates were controlled for, RCCVCs only significantly increased the number of treatment cases of female in large catchment areas. There was no statistically significant impact on 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of RCCVCs increased the number of treatment cases of female, without increasing the mortality rate. Therefore, the RCCVCs might have prevented potential untreated deaths by increasing the preparedness and capacity of hospitals to treat acute myocardial infarction patients.
Dataset ; Delivery of Health Care ; Emergencies ; Female ; Health Impact Assessment ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Program Evaluation

OBJECTIVES: Most children and adolescents have low levels of cancer knowledge and awareness, and infrequently engage in preventive behaviors. This study examined the effects of a short classroom-based intervention for cancer prevention on knowledge, attitude toward cancer preventability, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions of fifth-grade elementary school students. METHODS: The study was based on a pre-post-follow-up, 2-group, quasi-experimental design. Participants in the intervention group attended two 40-minute sessions on cancer prevention education and watched a music video about cancer prevention, while participants in the control group were only exposed to the music video. Self-reported knowledge, attitude toward cancer preventability, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions were assessed 1 week pre-intervention and post-intervention, as well as 3 months post-intervention. RESULTS: The 3-month post-intervention results revealed partial effects, indicating that the education intervention improved knowledge and attitudes toward cancer preventability; however, no effects were observed on self-efficacy and behavioral intentions 3 months after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term regular booster sessions are required to improve not only social-cognitive factors, but also behavioral intentions, which could result in behavior changes promoting cancer prevention.
Adolescent ; Child ; Education ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Music ; Program Evaluation

Medical education research subjects are incredibly diverse and have changed over time. This work in particular aims to compare and analyze research trends in medical education through the words used in the titles of these research papers. Academic Medicine (the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges), Medical Teacher (the journal of the Association of Medical Education in Europe), the Korean Journal of Medical Education (KJME), and Korean Medical Education Review (KMER) were selected and analyzed for the purposes of this research. From 2009 to 2018, Academic Medicine and Medical Teacher published approximately 10 to 20 times more papers than the KJME and KMER. Frequently used words in these titles include “medical,” “student,” “education,” and “learning”. The words “clinical” and “learning” were used relatively often (7.80% to 13.66%) in Korean journals and Medical Teacher, but Academic Medicine used these phrases relatively less often (6.47% and 4.41%, respectively). Concern with such various topics as problem-based learning, team-based learning, program evaluations, burnout, e-learning, and digital indicates that Medical Teacher seems to primarily deal with teaching and learning methodologies, and Academic Medicine handles all aspects of medical education. The KJME and KMER did not cover all subjects, as they publish smaller papers. However, it is anticipated that research on new subjects, such as artificial intelligence in medical education, will occur in the near future.
Artificial Intelligence ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; Learning ; Problem-Based Learning ; Program Evaluation ; Research Subjects