Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools

Introduction Including palliative care (PC) in overloaded medical curricula is a challenge, especially where there is a lack of PC specialists. We hypothesised that non-specialised rotations could provide meaningful PC learning when there are enough clinical experiences, with adequate feedback.Objec...

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Main Authors: Stephen Mason, Dario Cecilio-Fernandes, Marco Antonio de Carvalho-Filho, Guilherme Gryschek, Guilherme Antonio Moreira de Barros
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041144.full
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author Stephen Mason
Dario Cecilio-Fernandes
Marco Antonio de Carvalho-Filho
Guilherme Gryschek
Guilherme Antonio Moreira de Barros
author_facet Stephen Mason
Dario Cecilio-Fernandes
Marco Antonio de Carvalho-Filho
Guilherme Gryschek
Guilherme Antonio Moreira de Barros
author_sort Stephen Mason
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Including palliative care (PC) in overloaded medical curricula is a challenge, especially where there is a lack of PC specialists. We hypothesised that non-specialised rotations could provide meaningful PC learning when there are enough clinical experiences, with adequate feedback.Objective Observe the effects of including PC topics in non-specialised placements for undergraduate medical students in two different medical schools.Design Observational prospective study.Setting Medical schools in Brazil.Participants 134 sixth-year medical students of two medical schools.Methods This was a longitudinal study that observed the development of Self-efficacy in Palliative Care (SEPC) and Thanatophobia (TS) in sixth-year medical students in different non-specialised clinical rotations in two Brazilian medical schools (MS1 and MS2). We enrolled 78 students in MS1 during the Emergency and Critical Care rotation and 56 students in MS2 during the rotation in Anaesthesiology. Both schools provide PC discussions with different learning environment and approaches.Primary outcomes SEPC and TS Scales were used to assess students at the beginning and the end of the rotations.Results In both schools’ students had an increase in SEPC and a decrease in TS scores.Conclusion Non-specialised rotations that consider PC competencies as core aspects of being a doctor can be effective to develop SEPC and decrease TS levels.
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spelling doaj-art-d180c225279d4da0bf7980411ab64d8f2025-08-20T02:27:46ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-11-01101110.1136/bmjopen-2020-041144Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schoolsStephen Mason0Dario Cecilio-Fernandes1Marco Antonio de Carvalho-Filho2Guilherme Gryschek3Guilherme Antonio Moreira de Barros4Palliative Care Institute Liverpool, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UKDepartment of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Campinas School of Medical Sciences, Campinas, SP, BrazilWenckebach Institute (WIOO), University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsInternal Medicine, University of Campinas School of Medical Sciences, Campinas, SP, BrazilDepartment of Anesthesiology, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Câmpus de Botucatu Faculdade de Medicina, Botucatu, SP, BrazilIntroduction Including palliative care (PC) in overloaded medical curricula is a challenge, especially where there is a lack of PC specialists. We hypothesised that non-specialised rotations could provide meaningful PC learning when there are enough clinical experiences, with adequate feedback.Objective Observe the effects of including PC topics in non-specialised placements for undergraduate medical students in two different medical schools.Design Observational prospective study.Setting Medical schools in Brazil.Participants 134 sixth-year medical students of two medical schools.Methods This was a longitudinal study that observed the development of Self-efficacy in Palliative Care (SEPC) and Thanatophobia (TS) in sixth-year medical students in different non-specialised clinical rotations in two Brazilian medical schools (MS1 and MS2). We enrolled 78 students in MS1 during the Emergency and Critical Care rotation and 56 students in MS2 during the rotation in Anaesthesiology. Both schools provide PC discussions with different learning environment and approaches.Primary outcomes SEPC and TS Scales were used to assess students at the beginning and the end of the rotations.Results In both schools’ students had an increase in SEPC and a decrease in TS scores.Conclusion Non-specialised rotations that consider PC competencies as core aspects of being a doctor can be effective to develop SEPC and decrease TS levels.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041144.full
spellingShingle Stephen Mason
Dario Cecilio-Fernandes
Marco Antonio de Carvalho-Filho
Guilherme Gryschek
Guilherme Antonio Moreira de Barros
Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
BMJ Open
title Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
title_full Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
title_fullStr Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
title_full_unstemmed Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
title_short Examining the effect of non-specialised clinical rotations upon medical students’ Thanatophobia and Self-efficacy in Palliative Care: a prospective observational study in two medical schools
title_sort examining the effect of non specialised clinical rotations upon medical students thanatophobia and self efficacy in palliative care a prospective observational study in two medical schools
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/11/e041144.full
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