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Background: The German national longitudinal communication curriculum provides medical faculties with orientation for the content of their communication teaching. But its implementation also requires changes in the organization of teaching. However, due to a lack of reports and studies on experiences with the development and implementation of communication curricula, recommendations on the procedure and the use of suitable instruments cannot be provided. Consequently, as part of this exploratory study the implementation process of the communication curricula was observed at four faculties.Methods: A comparative case study was conducted against the background of a change management concept. The four participating faculties were selected in such a way that they differed significantly in their initial conditions, particularly the development stage of the communication curriculum. Group interviews were conducted with the project teams at each faculty concerning the conditions and experiences with the implementation process. The evaluation took the form of a qualitative content analysis with a focus on identifying supporting and inhibiting factors and useful activities. Results: Different faculty approaches, support structures, core skills, the scope of study and examination regulations, teaching organization and available resources can have a major impact on the implementation processes. It became clear that, depending on the status of the implementation process, other barriers and supporting conditions gain in importance. Strategically, it proved to be a particular success factor to implement the communication curriculum together with other innovations in the course of the conversion to a model study program. This enabled a particularly quick and efficient implementation. The implementation into an existing curriculum proved to be much more protracted. In addition, a change management concept was used to illustrate which measures were found to be effective for which task areas. This includes, for example, curricular mapping, the development of skills in communication teaching or the integration of communication into exams.Conclusions: Thus a concept with strategies and measures for the implementation of the National Longitudinal Communication Curriculum is available. It already contains numerous suggestions for planning one's own approach in line with the conditions and resources of other locations. However, it needs to be supplemented and further validated.

BackgroundThe death toll of COVID-19 topped 170,000 in Europe by the end of May 2020. COVID-19 has caused an immense psychological burden on the population, especially among doctors and nurses who are faced with high infection risks and increased workload. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the mental health of medical professionals with nonmedical professionals in different European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that medical professionals, particularly those exposed to COVID-19 at work, would have higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. We also aimed to determine their main stressors and most frequently used coping strategies during the crisis. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted during peak COVID-19 months in 8 European countries. The questionnaire included demographic data and inquired whether the participants were exposed to COVID-19 at work or not. Mental health was assessed via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales32 (23.53)–21 (DASS-21). A 12-item checklist on preferred coping strategies and another 23-item questionnaire on major stressors were completed by medical professionals. ResultsThe sample (N=609) consisted of 189 doctors, 165 nurses, and 255 nonmedical professionals. Participants from France and the United Kingdom reported experiencing severe/extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress more often compared to those from the other countries. Nonmedical professionals had significantly higher scores for depression and anxiety. Among medical professionals, no significant link was reported between direct contact with patients with COVID-19 at work and anxiety, depression, or stress. “Uncertainty about when the epidemic will be under control” caused the most amount of stress for health care professionals while “taking protective measures” was the most frequently used coping strategy among all participants. ConclusionsCOVID-19 poses a major challenge to the mental health of working professionals as a considerable proportion of our participants showed high values for depression, anxiety, and stress. Even though medical professionals exhibited less mental stress than nonmedical professionals, sufficient help should be offered to all occupational groups with an emphasis on effective coping strategies.

BackgroundCOVID-19 resulted in considerable mental health burden in the Chinese general population and among health care workers at the beginning and peak of the pandemic. However, little is known about potentially vulnerable groups during the final stage of the lockdown. ObjectiveThe aim of this survey study was to assess the mental health burden of different professions in China in order to find vulnerable groups, possible influencing factors, and successful ways of coping during the last 4 weeks of the lockdown in Hubei Province. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey asked participants about current residence, daily working hours, exposure to COVID-19 at work, and media preferences. We used a shortened version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess mental health. Further assessments included perceived stress (Simplified Chinese version of the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale), coping strategies for all participants, and specific stressors for health care workers. We followed the reporting guidelines of the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) statement for observational studies. ResultsThe sample (N=687) consisted of 158 doctors, 221 nurses, 24 other medical staff, 43 students, 60 teachers/government staff, 135 economy staff, 26 workers/farmers, and 20 professions designated under the “other” category. We found increased depression (n=123, 17.9%), anxiety (n=208, 30.3%), and stress (n=94, 13.7%) in our sample. Professions that were vulnerable to depression were other medical staff and students. Doctors, nurses, and students were vulnerable to anxiety; and other medical staff, students, and economy staff were vulnerable to stress. Coping strategies were reduced to three factors: active, mental, and emotional. Being female and emotional coping were independently associated with depression, anxiety, or stress. Applying active coping strategies showed lower odds for anxiety while mental coping strategies showed lower odds for depression, anxiety, and stress. Age, being inside a lockdown area, exposure to COVID-19 at work, and having a high workload (8-12 hours per day) were not associated with depression, anxiety, or stress. WeChat was the preferred way of staying informed across all groups. ConclusionsBy the end of the lockdown, a considerable part of the Chinese population showed increased levels of depression and anxiety. Students and other medical staff were the most affected, while economy staff were highly stressed. Doctors and nurses need support regarding potential anxiety disorders. Future work should focus on longitudinal results of the pandemic and develop targeted preventive measures.

BackgroundGrowing individualization within the past decades has been described as a fundamental shift in society. Studies have reported how the digital age promotes new forms of individualism with self-tracking technologies and self-presentation in social networks. Potential harmful effects on the mental health of young adults have already been at the forefront of research. However, 2 questions that remain unanswered are how emotional experiences and expressions of self-relatedness differ among generations in their usage of the internet and social media, and if an increasing individualism can be observed by this. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine whether the use of the internet and social media has led people to be more concerned about themselves than former generations. The potential consequences of mental and emotional distress among different age groups are analyzed. MethodsA focus-group approach was chosen to study the following age groups: Baby Boomers (those born in 1950-1965), Generation X (those born in 1966-1980), and Digital Natives (those born in 1981-2000). We organized 6 focus groups with 36 participants who discussed their private usage of the internet and social media, different devices, platforms and functions, communication behavior, and self-tracking. We applied inductive category formation and followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist. ResultsWe found differences in the 3 studied generations regarding the reasons for their use of the internet and social media, the effects of this use, personal feelings and experiences, expressions of self-relatedness, and social relationships. The Baby Boomers voiced a wish to stay autonomous while being in contact with their personal network. Generation X included enthusiastic members who appreciate self-tracking for curiosity and fascination, as well as people who felt fears about data surveillance. The Digital Natives reported a wish to optimize their own body by self-tracking while being faced with norms and expectations that were communicated via the internet and social media. ConclusionsAll generations expressed self-relatedness, yet by different means. The Baby Boomers expressed less individualism than Generation X and the Digital Natives, who felt the highest strain due to social comparisons. However, all generations reported specific, potentially problematic consequences for their mental health. Age-specific coping strategies are necessary to promote a mentally healthy way of using the internet and social media.

BackgroundWeb-based interventions for depression have been widely tested for usability and functioning. However, the few studies that have addressed the therapeutic quality of these interventions have mainly focused on general aspects without consideration of specific quality factors related to particular treatment components. Clinicians and scientists are calling for standardized assessment criteria for web-based interventions to enable effective and trustworthy patient care. Therefore, an extensive evaluation of web-based interventions at the level of individual treatment components based on therapeutic guidelines and manuals is needed. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of unguided web-based interventions for depression at the level of individual treatment components based on their adherence to current gold-standard treatment guidelines and manuals. MethodsA comprehensive online search of popular app stores and search engines in January 2018 revealed 11 desktop programs and 17 smartphone apps that met the inclusion criteria. Programs and apps were included if they were available for German users, interactive, unguided, and targeted toward depression. All programs and apps were tested by three independent researchers following a standardized procedure with a predefined symptom trajectory. During the testing, all web-based interventions were rated with a standardized list of criteria based on treatment guidelines and manuals for depression. ResultsOverall interrater reliability for all raters was substantial with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.73 and Gwet AC1 value of 0.80. The main features of web-based interventions included mood tracking (24/28, 86%), psychoeducation (21/28, 75%), cognitive restructuring (21/28, 75%), crisis management (20/28, 71%), behavioral activation (19/29, 68%), and relaxation training (18/28, 64%). Overall, therapeutic meaningfulness was rated higher for desktop programs (mean 4.13, SD 1.17) than for smartphone apps (mean 2.92, SD 1.46). ConclusionsAlthough many exercises from manuals are included in web-based interventions, the necessary therapeutic depth of the interventions is often not reached, and risk management is frequently lacking. There is a need for further research targeting general principles for the development and evaluation of therapeutically sound web-based interventions for depression.

Purpose: The significance of interprofessional education (IPE) for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and thus optimal patient care is widely recognised. As a starting point for a needs-based IPE development, we conducted focus groups interviews with students of different health professions. We assessed experiences with IPE and IPC, ascertained resulting IPE needs, and discussed opportunities for curricular implementation, to meet long-term challenges to health care.Methods: Using semi-structured interview guides, we conducted five focus groups with altogether 18 trainees of different health professions and students of medicine and Interprofessional Health Care. We transcribed and analysed the data using qualitative content analysis.Results: Three main categories of IPE approaches emerged out of the analysis: “content”, “settings”, and “challenges”. Contents as suggested by focus group participants are sessions about basic knowledge, practical skills, communication and interprofessional collaboration. The settings should comprise different forms and methods of teaching and didactic designs. As challenges, participants named unfamiliarity, teacher demands, differences in needs, diverging curriculum structures, heterogeneous prior knowledge, and aspects of timing.Conclusion: Based on their prior experiences with IPC and IPE in other contexts, participants generated diverse ideas for new interprofessional courses and potential application in other IPC/IPE settings. This allows to integrate new IPE approaches into curriculum development.

Background: Direct patient contact is crucial in learning important interactional and examination skills. However, medical students have limited opportunity to self-responsibly practise these skills in authentic clinical settings and typically receive insufficient feedback on their performance. We developed a novel single-session ambulatory teaching concept (Heidelberg Student Ambulatory training, “HeiSA”) to prepare students more adequately for clinical-practical responsibilities.Methods: To identify challenges and target group needs, we reviewed current literature and consulted an expert group of faculty lecturers and training researchers. The resulting course concept was put into practice at the University Hospital’s general-internistic outpatient department and evaluated in a pilot phase (winter term 2010, ten participants) and a main project phase (summer and winter terms 2011, 14 and 21 participants, respectively). Third and fourth-year students autonomously take a new patient’s medical history and conduct a complete physical examination in one hour under supervision, followed by extensive preceptor feedback. To assess learning achievements, participants and a control group self-rated their communication and examination skills before and (participants only) after the session on six-point Likert scales (1=completely able, 6=completely unable). The preceptor also evaluated the participants’ performance. Finally, all stakeholders re-evaluated the course concept.Results: HeiSA is a feasible training concept and accepted by staff members and students. It provides opportunities to practise clinical skills in a relevant, authentic learning environment with extensive feedback. Participants report improved anamnesis (0.27±0.51,=.003) and physical examination (0.25±0.41, =.008) skills. The preceptor evaluated students’ performance to be generally high, with ratings ranging from 1.40±0.55 (item: the student does not interrupt the patient) to 2.51±0.89 (item: psychosocial anamnesis). Conclusions: HeiSA is a viable course concept for teaching anamnesis and physical examination skills. It integrates student teaching into routine care and can potentially be adapted to other outpatient departments.

Introduction: This project report describes the development, “piloting” and evaluation of an interprofessional seminar on team communication bringing together medical students and Interprofessional Health Care B.Sc. students at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, Germany.Project Description: A five-member interprofessional team collaborated together on this project. Kolb’s concept formed the theoretical foundation for the seminar, which explored three interprofessional competency areas: team work, communication and values/ethics. Evaluation for the purposes of quality assurance and future curricula development was conducted using two quantitative measures: Results: The key finding from the standardized course evaluation was that the interprofessional seminars were rated more positively [M=2.11 (1 most positive and 5 most negative), SD=1, n=27] than the monoprofessional seminars [M=2.55, SD=0.98, n=90]. The key finding from the UWE-IP-D survey, comparing pre and post scores of the interprofessional (IP) (n=40) and monoprofessional (MP) groups (n=34), was that significant positive changes in mean scores for both groups towards communication, teamwork and interprofessional learning occurred. Conclusions: Lessons learnt included: a) recognising the benefit of being pragmatic when introducing interprofessional education initiatives, which enabled various logistical and attitudinal barriers to be overcome; b) quantitative evaluation of learning outcomes alone could not explain positive responses or potential influences of interprofessional aspects, which highlighted the need for a mixed methods approach, including qualitative methods, to enrich judgment formation on interprofessional educational outcomes.

Introduction: Progress tests provide students feedback on their level of proficiency over the course of their medical studies. Peer-assisted learning and competency-based education have become increasingly important in medical education. Although progress tests have been proven to be useful as a longitudinal feedback instrument, there are currently no progress tests that have been created in cooperation with students or that focus on competency in medical education.In this study, we investigated the extent to which students can be included in the development of a progress test and demonstrated that aspects of knowledge related to competency can be represented on a competency-based progress test.Methods: A two-dimensional blueprint for 144 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) covering groups of medical subjects and groups of competency areas was generated by three expert groups for developing the competency-based progress test. A total of 31 students from seven medical schools in Germany actively participated in this exercise. After completing an intensive and comprehensive training programme, the students generated and reviewed the test questions for the competency-based progress test using a separate platform of the ItemManagementSystem (IMS). This test was administered as a formative test to 469 students in a pilot study in November 2013 at eight medical schools in Germany. The scores were analysed for the overall test and differentiated according to the subject groups and competency areas.Results: A pool of more than 200 MCQs was compiled by the students for pilot use, of which 118 student-generated MCQs were used in the progress test. University instructors supplemented this pool with 26 MCQs, which primarily addressed the area of scientific skills. The post-review showed that student-generated MCQs were of high quality with regard to test statistic criteria and content. Overall, the progress test displayed a very high reliability. When the academic years were compared, the progress test mapped out over the course of study not only by the overall test but also in terms of the subject groups and competency areas.Outlook: Further development in cooperation with students will be continued. Focus will be on compiling additional questions and test formats that can represent competency at a higher skill level, such as key feature questions, situational judgement test questions and OSCE. In addition, the feedback formats will be successively expanded. The intention is also to offer the formative competency-based progress test online.

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) often involve a considerable amount of resources in terms of materials and organization since the scores are often recorded on paper. Computer-assisted administration is an alternative with which the need for material resources can be reduced. In particular, the use of tablets seems sensible because these are easy to transport and flexible to use.Aim: User acceptance concerning the use of tablets during OSCEs has not yet been extensively investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate tablet-based OSCEs from the perspective of the user (examiner) and the student examinee.Method: For two OSCEs in Internal Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, user acceptance was analyzed regarding tablet-based administration (satisfaction with functionality) and the subjective amount of effort as perceived by the examiners. Standardized questionnaires and semi-standardized interviews were conducted (complete survey of all participating examiners). In addition, for one OSCE, the subjective evaluation of this mode of assessment was gathered from a random sample of participating students in semi-standardized interviews.Results: Overall, the examiners were very satisfied with using tablets during the assessment. The subjective amount of effort to use the tablet was found on average to be “hardly difficult”. The examiners identified the advantages of this mode of administration as being in particular the ease of use and low rate of error. During the interviews of the examinees, acceptance for the use of tablets during the assessment was also detected.Discussion: Overall, it was found that the use of tablets during OSCEs was well accepted by both examiners and examinees. We expect that this mode of assessment also offers advantages regarding assessment documentation, use of resources, and rate of error in comparison with paper-based assessments; all of these aspects should be followed up on in further studies.

[english] Aim: Student tutorials are now firmly anchored in medical education. However, to date there have only been isolated efforts to establish structured teacher training for peer tutors in medicine. To close this gap, a centralized tutor training program for students, culminating in an academic certificate, was implemented at Heidelberg University Medical School. The program also counts within the scope of the post-graduate Baden-Württemberg Certificate in Academic Teaching (Baden-Württemberg Zertifikat für Hochschuldidaktik).Method: Based on a needs assessment, a modular program comprised of four modules and a total of 200 curricular units was developed in cooperation with the Department for Key Competencies and Higher Education at Heidelberg University and implemented during the 2010 summer semester. This program covers not only topic-specific training sessions, but also independent teaching and an integrated evaluation of the learning process that is communicated to the graduates in the form of structured feedback. In addition, to evaluate the overall concept, semi-structured interviews (N=18) were conducted with the program graduates.Results: To date, 495 tutors have been trained in the basic module on teaching medicine, which is rated with a mean overall grade of 1.7 (SW: 0.6) and has served as Module I of the program since 2010. A total of 17% (N=83) of these tutors have gone on to enroll in the subsequent training modules of the program; 27 of them (m=12, f=15) have already successfully completed them. Based on qualitative analyses, it is evident that the training program certificate and its applicability toward the advanced teacher training for university instructors pose a major incentive for the graduates. For successful program realization, central coordination, extensive coordination within the medical school, and the evaluation of the attained skills have proven to be of particular importance.Conclusion: The training program contributes sustainably to both quality assurance and professionalism, as well as to solving the issue of resources in medical education. The introduction and continued development of similar programs is desirable.

[english] The 2002 licensing regulation for doctors significantly increased the importance of school-specific assessment during the clinical phase of medical education. School-specific assessment should strengthen the practical element of medical training; due to the licensing reform, students now obtain individual grades for each clinical subject, which then count toward the final degree. In order to gain an overview of how the assessment procedure has evolved in light of this reform, a survey was carried out in all medical schools in Germany in autumn 2007. The dean of each school received a questionnaire containing questions on central organization. The questionnaire inquired about and recorded information on the format of all graded assessments and whether a structured appraisal and a statistical analysis were carried out for exam questions. Thirty-one out of 36 medical schools responded. Twenty-eight schools provided information on the 15 graded assessments taken during the pre-clinical phase of medical training, and all 31 provided information on the 38 subjects that comprise the clinical phase of the degree course. Multiple choice examinations dominate in both phases of medical training. Structured practical assessments are seldom used. Regulated evaluation procedures and statistical analysis of the questions take place in approximately 40% of all assessments, whereby differences between the individual schools of medicine do exist. In summary, the results show that although considerable effort has been made to carry out high-quality assessments, overall a stronger focus on practical elements within medical education has not yet been achieved. Often, assessment has not yet become an integral part of studies and it is doubtful that international minimum standards on assessment quality are being maintained. Necessary measures to improve the quality of assessments include training courses and cooperation between universities to help with content and organizational aspects of establishing assessment forms with strong practical components; the specification of adequate quality standards; and the creation of examination boards. [german] Mit der im Jahr 2002 novellierten Ärztlichen Approbationsordnung gewannen die fakultätsinternen Prüfungen im klinischen Studienabschnitt erheblich an Bedeutung. Sie sollen die Stärkung des Praxisbezugs der medizinischen Ausbildung abbilden und sind Teil des Abschlusszeugnisses. Um eine Übersicht zu gewinnen, wie sich dadurch die „Prüfungskultur“ an den medizinischen Fakultäten entwickelt hat, wurde im Herbst 2007 eine Umfrage an allen medizinischen Fakultäten in Deutschland durchgeführt. Allen Studiendekanaten wurde ein Fragebogen zugesandt, welcher Fragen zur zentralen Organisation enthielt. Für alle Leistungsnachweise wurde das Prüfungsformat erfragt und erhoben, ob für die Prüfungsaufgaben eine strukturierte Begutachtung und eine statistische Auswertung der Ergebnisse erfolgt. Von den 36 medizinischen Fakultäten antworteten 31 Fakultäten. Zu den 15 Leistungsnachweisen im vorklinischen Abschnitt des Studiums machten 28 Fakultäten Angaben, zu den 38 Fächern im klinischen Abschnitt alle 31 Fakultäten. In beiden Abschnitten des Studiums dominieren Klausuren mit Mehrfachauswahlfragen. Strukturierte praktische Prüfungen werden selten eingesetzt. Geregelte Begutachtungsverfahren der Aufgaben und statistische Auswertungen erfolgen bei etwa 40 % der Prüfungen, wobei sich hier charakteristische Unterschiede zwischen Fakultäten zeigen. Zusammenfassend folgt aus den Ergebnissen, dass zwar erhebliche Anstrengungen zur Durchführung qualitativ hochwertiger Prüfungen unternommen werden, sich insgesamt aber die angestrebte höhere Praxisorientierung des Studiums noch nicht hinreichend abbildet, die Integration von Prüfungen als wesentlicher Bestandteil der Lehre häufig noch nicht erfolgt und die Einhaltung internationaler Mindeststandards an die Qualität der Leistungsmessung zweifelhaft ist. Als Maßnahmen zur qualitativen Verbesserung der Prüfungen werden Schulungen und universitäre Kooperationen zur logistischen und inhaltlichen Etablierung praxisnaher Prüfungsformen, die Festlegung adäquater Qualitätsstandards sowie die Bildung von Prüfungsverbünden als notwendig erachtet.

[english] Introduction: Communicative competence is essential for daily medical routine. The usefulness of communication-trainings for physicians is described in various publications. However, specific trainings in paediatrics are rarely found. A characteristic for paediatric work is that the primary communication is not only with the patient – the child – but also with the parents. Beside self-assessment external assessment by parents can be used for evaluation of paediatrician’s communicative skills.Methods: 28 paediatric residents (intervention group n = 14; control group n = 14) of the University Children’s Hospital of Heidelberg took part in a communication training using standardised parents and -patients (SP), video recording and feedback by peers, SPs and supervisors. Data of self-evaluated communicative competence in contact with parents was collected from all participants before and after the training of the intervention group. In addition there was an assessment of parents’ satisfaction with the paediatricians-parents communication concerning their children’s treatment nine weeks before and nine weeks after the training (n = 248). A follow-up survey to record the transfer into clinical practice was conducted with the participants after six months.Results: After the training participants of the intervention group showed an increased feeling of communicative competence in reference to communicative situations that were explicitly practiced in the training. The external assessment by parents generally showed a positive evaluation of paediatricians’ communication skills. However, a group effect was not found. In the follow-up survey participants reported an improved self-perception and specific elements of the training that facilitated the daily clinical practice with parents and their children. Discussion: The training of specific relevant clinical situations lead to an increase in perceived communicative competence and competence in handling difficult encounters with parents. Communication trainings should be integrated not only into the medical student education but also into post-graduate education curricula. [german] Einführung: Kommunikative Kompetenzen sind wesentlich für den ärztlichen Alltag. In der Literatur wird vielfach der Nutzen von Kommunikationsschulungen für Ärzte beschrieben, über gezielte Schulungen für den Fachbereich Pädiatrie finden sich nur vereinzelt Berichte. Die Besonderheit der pädiatrischen Versorgung besteht dabei im Wesentlichen darin, dass nicht nur die Kommunikation zum Patienten – dem Kind –, sondern auch zu dessen Eltern oder Bezugspersonen eine entscheidende Rolle spielt. Zur Überprüfung kommunikativer Fähigkeiten von Pädiatern können neben Selbsteinschätzungen auch Fremdeinschätzungen durch Eltern dienen.Methode: 28 Assistenzärzte (Interventionsgruppe n = 14; Kontrollgruppe n = 14) der Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin in Heidelberg nahmen an einer Kommunikationsschulung teil. Diese beinhaltete Übungsgespräche mit standardisierten Eltern und -Patienten (SP), Videoaufzeichnungen sowie Feedback von SPs, Peers und Supervisoren. Daten zur Selbsteinschätzung der eigenen kommunikativen Kompetenz wurden vor und nach der Schulung der Interventionsgruppe von allen Teilnehmern erhoben. Weiterhin wurde neun Wochen vor und neun Wochen nach Abschluss der Schulung eine Elternbefragung bei n = 248 Eltern durchgeführt, in der die Zufriedenheit mit dem Arztkontakt hinsichtlich der Arzt-Eltern Kommunikation erfasst wurde. Nach 6 Monaten schloss sich eine Nachbefragung bei den Teilnehmern zum Transfer in den Klinikalltag an.Ergebnis: Bei den Teilnehmern der Interventionsgruppe zeigte sich im Gegensatz zur Kontrollgruppe nach Abschluss der Schulung eine signifikante Steigerung der subjektiven Kompetenzeinschätzung in Bezug auf die kommunikativen Situationen, die speziell in der Schulung trainiert wurden. Die Fremdeinschätzung durch die Eltern ergab eine generell sehr positive Bewertung der Ärzte, es ließ sich jedoch kein Gruppeneffekt nachweisen. Im Langezeitverlauf berichteten die Teilnehmer von einer verbesserten Selbstwahrnehmung und benannten konkrete Elemente der Schulung, die ihnen die tägliche klinische Arbeit im Kontakt mit Eltern erkrankter Kinder erleichterten.Diskussion: Das Training von spezifischen, für den klinischen Alltag typischen Situationen führt zu einer Verbesserung der Selbsteinschätzung kommunikativer Kompetenzen bezüglich des Umgangs mit schwierigen Situationen im Elternkontakt. Eine Integration von Kommunikationsschulungen nicht nur in das Medizinstudium, sondern auch in postgraduierte Ausbildungs-Curricula erscheint daher sinnvoll.

[english] Aims: The new law for medical education (ÄAppO 2002) requires the establishment of at least 98 hours of integrated seminars with inclusion of appropriate clinical subjects. The newly established curriculum committee for the reform of pre-clinical studies (Medicine I) developed a concept for these integrated seminars at Hamburg Medical School. The seminars are taught during the first four semesters every fortnight. Subjects of the seminars are related to other courses taking place at the same time. Important didactic elements of the seminars are multidisciplinarity and case based learning. Other elements are small group work, self- study and short student presentations. Representatives from the different scientific and clinical subjects developed horizontal and vertical connections within Medicine I by planning these seminars.Methods: Integrated seminars were evaluated by the first cohort of students between 2003 and 2005 for quality control. With special instruments seminars were evaluated formatively for each seminar and summatively at the end of every semester. Besides descriptive explanations data were analyzed for systematic connections and differences.Results: Evaluation of the integrated seminars at Hamburg Medical School by students from the first cohort demonstrated high acceptance of the concept. Certain aspects of the course like practical relevance of basic sciences, integration of basic sciences and individual learning progress reached high marks of satisfaction.Conclusion: The integrated seminars at Hamburg Medical School represent a coherent concept for horizontal and vertical connection of scientific and clinical aspects which is well accepted by the students. Evaluation results also indicate possibilities of improvement which will be addressed by modification of individual cases and in the faculty development program.[german] Zielsetzung: Die neue ÄAppO (2002) fordert für den ersten Studienabschnitt (Medizin I) die Einrichtung von mindestens 98 Stunden Integrierter Seminare unter Einbezug geeigneter klinischer Fächer. Das an der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Hamburg zur Reform des Studienabschnitts Medizin I eingesetzte Curriculum-Komitee erarbeitete ein Konzept für Integrierte Seminare, die in den ersten vier Semestern in 14-tägigem Rhythmus durchgeführt werden. Die Themen orientieren sich inhaltlich an parallel stattfindenden Unterrichtsveranstaltungen. Wichtige didaktische Elemente der Integrierten Seminare sind Interdisziplinarität und das fallbasierte Lernen. Darüber hinaus prägen die Veranstaltung Kleingruppenarbeit, Selbststudium und Kurzreferate. Vertreter naturwissenschaftlicher und medizinischer Grundlagenfächer sowie klinischer Fächer erarbeiteten durch das Seminar horizontale und vertikale inhaltliche Verknüpfungen im Abschnitt Medizin I.Methodik: Zur Qualitätskontrolle wurden die Integrierten Seminare der ersten Studierendenkohorte von Wintersemester 2003/04 bis Sommersemester 2005 wissenschaftlich begleitet. Anhand spezieller Instrumente wurde die Veranstaltung mit Terminevaluationen formativ und mit Abschlussevaluationen summativ evaluiert. Neben einer deskriptiven Darstellung wurden die Daten auf systematische Zusammenhänge und Unterschiede analysiert.Ergebnisse: Die Evaluation der Integrierten Seminare durch die erste Studierendenkohorte belegt eine große Akzeptanz des Konzepts und eine hohe Zufriedenheit mit zentralen Einzelaspekten der Veranstaltung, z. B. Verdeutlichung der Praxisrelevanz der Grundlagenfächer, Aufzeigen der Vernetzung der Grundlagenfächer und subjektiver Lernerfolg.Schlussfolgerung: Die Integrierten Seminare an der Hamburger Medizinischen Fakultät liefern ein schlüssiges und von den Studierenden akzeptiertes Konzept für horizontale und vertikale inhaltliche Verknüpfungen von Grundlagenfächern mit klinischen Fächern. Außerdem zeigen die Evaluationsergebnisse Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten auf, die u. a. durch Modifikationen einzelner Fallgeschichten und im Faculty-Development-Programm der Fakultät umgesetzt werden können.

[english] Introduction: “Standardised patients” are finding increased application within medical training and have become an indispensable component of communication training for medical students. In the Anglo-American world, “standardised patients” are also employed in the postgraduate curriculum for resident physicians. In the German-speaking realm, however, there are currently no publications indicating the use of “standardised parents” in the specialist field of paediatrics. The basic recurring question concerning the extent to which training with “standardised parents” can be considered adequately realistic - a question which has already been raised in connection with the use of “standardised patients” - is of particular relevance in the case of highly experienced clinical staff. The degree to which feedback from “standardised parents” proves helpful in everyday clinical life also remains to be ascertained. Methods: In the current project, a communication training course involving “standardised patients”, who simulated the parents and caregivers of ill children, was carried out with residents of Heidelberg University Clinic for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 28 Accident and Emergency were trained in dealing with problems and difficult situations arising in communication with parents. Following the physician-parent dialogue, the respective physician received feedback from the actors, fellow medical peers and supervisors. The authenticity of the cases and their relevance in the context of a realistic training course for communication skills was assessed by means of a questionnaire for participants. Additionally, participants evaluated the quality of the feedback received following the physician-parent dialogue. Results: Physicians considered the training cases to be extremely authentic and of relevance regarding both the improvement of communication skills and confidence in dealing with the parents of ill children. Feedback from actors (Likert scale: M = 1.08; SD = 0.28), from supervisors (M = 1.25; SD = 0.68) and medical peers (M =1.29; SD = 0.55) received very high ratings. Discussion: In the project presented here, the application of “standardised parents” represents a valuable tool which can be considered a suitable and obligatory component within a structured communication training course for paediatric residents. Furthermore, the employment of “standardised parents” could prove of interest in the context of graduate medical education. [german] Einführung: "Standardisierte Patienten“ (SP) sind simulierte Patienten, die sorgfältig und gewissenhaft trainiert wurden, um ihre erlernte Erkrankung in einer standardisierten und gleich bleibenden Art und Weise für didaktische Lehrzwecke zu präsentieren. SP werden in der Medizinischen Ausbildung zunehmend eingesetzt und sind inzwischen ein unverzichtbarer Bestandteil eines Kommunikationstrainings von Medizinstudenten. Auch für die Ausbildungscurricula von Assistenzärzten auf dem Weg zum Facharzt werden im angloamerikanischen Raum inzwischen SP eingesetzt. In der Pädiatrie wird die Verwendung von Schauspielern zu Schulungszwecken bisher nur vereinzelt beschrieben. Die wiederkehrende Frage nach einer ausreichenden Realitätsnähe und nach dem Nutzen ihres Feedbacks, wie sie bereits hinsichtlich des Einsatzes von SP aufgeworfen wurde, bleibt auch bei Schulungen mit "standardisierten Eltern“, bei denen der Patient - das Kind - gar nicht oder nur teilweise anwesend ist, bestehen. Methode: In dem vorliegenden Projekt wurde für 28 Ärzte der Universitätsklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin Heidelberg mit einer mittleren Berufserfahrung von 4,2 Jahren ein Kommunikationstraining mit "standardisierten Eltern“ durchgeführt. Dazu wurden 13 Schauspieler anhand ausführlicher Rollenskripte für den Einsatz als „standardisierte Eltern“ trainiert. Die Auswahl der Schauspieler erfolgte aus einem umfangreichen Pool an erfahrenen Schauspieler, die bereits Vorerfahrung im Einsatz als "standardisierte Patienten“ hatten. Berufserfahrene pädiatrische Dienstärzte wurden anhand neun klinischer Szenarien im Umgang mit Problemen und schwierigen Gesprächssituationen im Kontakt mit Eltern erkrankter Kinder geschult. Im Anschluss an das Arzt-Eltern-Gespräch erhielten die trainierten Ärzte ein Feedback von den Schauspielern selbst, den teilnehmenden ärztlichen Kollegen ("peers“) sowie den Supervisoren der Unterrichtsveranstaltungen. Mittels einer schriftlichen Evaluation der Teilnehmer wurde die Authentizität der "standardisierten Eltern“ sowie die Relevanz der Fälle für eine praxisnahe Schulung hinsichtlich kommunikativer Fähigkeiten erfasst. Darüber hinaus wurde eine Einschätzung der Teilnehmer hinsichtlich der Qualität der nach dem Arzt-Eltern-Gespräch erhaltenen Feedbacks eingeholt. Ergebnis: Die Fälle der Schulungen wurden von den Ärzten als äußerst authentisch und relevant hinsichtlich der Verbesserung der eigenen kommunikativen Fertigkeiten und der Sicherheit im Umgang mit Eltern erkrankter Kinder gewertet. Die Teilnehmer bewerteten (sechsstufige Likert Skala:1 = und 6 = ) das Feedback der Schauspieler (Mittelwert (M) = 1,08; Standardabweichung (SD) = 0,28), der Supervisoren (M = 1,25; SD = 0,68) und der „peers“ (M =1,29; SD = 0,55) als etwa gleich relevant und nützlich. Diskussion: "Standardisierte Eltern“ werden von angehenden Fachärzten der Pädiatrie als sehr authentisch eingeschätzt. Das Feedback der "standardisierten Eltern“ wird als sehr hochwertig angesehen. Die Grundlage für diese Einschätzungen bildet eine fundierte Vorbereitung und Konzeption der Schulungsfälle sowie ein umfassendes Training der "standardisierten Eltern“ hinsichtlich der Feedbackgabe. Ein weitreichender Einsatz von "standardisierten Eltern“ wäre auch für die Ausbildung von angehenden Ärzten im Fachbereich Pädiatrie wünschenswert.

Cadaver-specific postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) has become an integral part in anatomy teaching at several universities. Recently, the feasibility of contrast-enhanced (CE)-PMCT has been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to identify particular strengths and weaknesses of both non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced PMCT compared to conventional cadaver dissection. First, the students' perception of the learning effectiveness of the three different modalities have been assessed using a 34-item survey (five-point Likert scale) covering all anatomy course modules. Results were compared using the nonparametric Friedman Test. Second, the most frequent artifacts in cadaver CT scans, were systematically analyzed in 122 PMCT and 31 CE-PMCT data sets to quantify method-related limitations and characteristics. Perfusion quality was assessed in 57 vascular segments (38 arterial and 19 venous). The survey was answered by n = 257/320 (80.3%) students. Increased learning benefits of PMCT/ CE-PMCT compared to cadaver dissection were found in osteology (2/3 categories, P < 0.001), head and neck (2/5 categories, P < 0.01), and brain anatomy (3/3 categories, P < 0.01). Contrast-enhanced-PMCT was perceived particularly useful in learning vascular anatomy (10/10 categories, P < 0.01). Cadaver dissection received significantly higher scores compared to PMCT and CE-PMCT in all categories of the abdomen and thorax (7/7 categories, P < 0.001), as well as the majority of muscular anatomy (5/6 categories, P < 0.001). Frequent postmortem artifacts (total n = 28, native-phase n = 21, contrast injection-related n = 7) were identified and assessed. The results of this work contribute to the understanding of the value of integrating cadaver-specific PMCT in anatomy teaching.

Background: Due to its high impact on quality of life and mental health, close monitoring and often psychotherapy is recommended for patients with a ventricular assist device (VAD). This study investigates the psychological comorbidity and the corresponding psychotherapeutic treatment situation of VAD patients. Special attention is also given to the professional perspective VAD team (assistant and senior cardiologists and specialized nurses). Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional observational study. Data from 50 VAD patients (mean age = 53.52, standard deviation = 13.82 years, 84.0% male) and their VAD team were analyzed. The presence of a psychological disorder was evaluated by structured clinical interviews for DSM‐IV (SCID‐I‐Interviews). Patients answered a questionnaire regarding their current psychotherapeutic treatment status and their attitude towards psychotherapy. The VAD team answered a questionnaire about the patients' needs for psychotherapy and indicated whether they addressed this topic with the patient. Data were analyzed descriptively, by analysis of variance and t‐test. Results: A total of 58% of VAD patients suffered from at least one significant psychological disorder, 79.3% of those were not in psychotherapy. The VAD team could not identify the patients who suffered from a psychological disorder (F = 1.90; p = 0.18). They perceived more need for psychotherapy than they addressed with their patients (T = 3.39; p < 0.001). Conclusions: While there is a high psychological morbidity among VAD patients, only few receive psychotherapy. Psychological comorbidity is not easily detected by the VAD team. Standardized psychosocial care could be implemented by regular psychological assessments and further information of patients and their VAD teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many benefits to peer and near-peer tutoring. The current literature suggests that near-peer teaching within the domain of gross anatomy may lead to the development of numerous competencies for burgeoning medical professionals. The aim of this study was a quantitative and qualitative approach to explore which professional and personal competencies anatomy tutors developed as a result of their teaching activities in a gross anatomy course at a medical school in Germany. For a period of 18 months, 24 peer tutors were followed and queried multiple times via questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. It was found that most of the skills tutors developed or strengthened over one semester matched most of the core competencies described in various official competency frameworks used for physician education. In particular, tutors thought that tutoring gross anatomy had improved their knowledge of professional behavior as well as their communication skills. They also felt that they had learned to take on more responsibility and to use available resources more effectively. Overall, tutoring gross anatomy was perceived as very challenging, but also very rewarding, mainly because it provided the opportunity to develop and strengthen important skills such as self-confidence, self-awareness, positive thinking, self-insight, and stress management. Ultimately, these are all factors that contribute to resilience, an important attribute for physicians.

Even during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic health professionals were facing mental health challenges. The aim of this study was to examine the mental health of doctors, nurses and other professional groups in Europe and to identify differences between the professional groups. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in 8 European countries. We asked for demographic data, whether the participants were exposed to COVID-19 at work, for main information sources about the pandemic, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and major stressors. A MANCOVA was carried out to find predictors of mental health among health care professionals. The sample (N = 1398) consisted of 237 physicians, 459 nurses, and 351 other healthcare professionals and 351 non-medical professionals with no direct involvement in patient care. The mean mental health of all groups was affected to a mild degree. Major predictors for depression and anxiety were the profession group with higher scores especially in the group of the nurses and working directly with COVID-patients. In the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the psychological burden on health professionals has remained high, with being nurse and working directly with COVID19 patients being particular risk factors for mental distress. We found as a main result that nurses scored significantly higher on depression and anxiety than practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure (AHF) syndrome mimicking the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Impaired outcome has been shown, making risk stratification and novel therapeutic concepts a necessity. We hypothesized insulin resistance with elevated plasma glucose and potentially myocardial glucose deprivation to contribute to the pathogenesis of TTS and investigated the therapeutic benefit of insulin in vivo. Methods and results: First, we retrospectively analysed patient data of n = 265 TTS cases (85.7% female, mean age 71.1 ± 14.1 years) with documented initial plasma glucose from the Department of Cardiology of the University Hospital Heidelberg in Germany (May 2011 to May 2021). Median split of the study population according to glucose levels (≤123 mg/dL vs. >123 mg/dL) yielded significantly elevated mean heart rate (80.75 ± 18.96 vs. 90.01 ± 22.19 b.p.m., P < 0.001), left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure (LVEDP, 18.51 ± 8.35 vs. 23.09 ± 7.97 mmHg, P < 0.001), C‐reactive protein (26.14 ± 43.30 vs. 46.4 ± 68.6 mg/L, P = 0.006), leukocyte count (10.12 ± 4.29 vs. 15.05 ± 9.83/nL, P < 0.001), peak high‐sensitive Troponin T (hs‐TnT, 515.44 ± 672.15 vs. 711.40 ± 736.37 pg/mL, P = 0.005), reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF, 34.92 ± 8.94 vs. 31.35 ± 8.06%, P < 0.001), and elevated intrahospital mortality (2.3% vs. 12.1%, P = 0.002) in the high‐glucose group (Student's t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, or chi‐squared test). Linear regression indicated a significant association of glucose with HR (P < 0.001), LVEDP (P = 0.014), hs‐TnT kinetics from admission to the next day (P < 0.001), hs‐TnT the day after admission (P < 0.001), as well as peak hsTnT (P < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed significant association of glucose with a composite intrahospital outcome including catecholamine use, respiratory support, and resuscitation [OR 1.010 (1.004–1.015), P = 0.001]. To further investigate the potential role of glucose in TTS pathophysiology experimentally, we utilized an in vivo murine model of epinephrine (EPI)‐driven reversible AHF. For this, male mice underwent therapeutic injection of insulin (INS, 1 IU/kg) or/and glucose (GLU, 0.5 g/kg) after EPI (2.5 mg/kg), both of which markedly improved mean EF (EPI 34.3% vs. EPI + INS + GLU 43.7%, P = 0.025) and significantly blunted mean hs‐TnT (EPI 14 393 pg/mL vs. EPI + INS 6864 pg/mL at 24 h, P = 0.039). Particularly, insulin additionally ameliorated myocardial pro‐inflammatory gene expression, suggesting an anti‐inflammatory effect of acute insulin therapy. Conclusions: Elevated initial plasma glucose was associated with adverse outcome‐relevant parameters in TTS and may present a surrogate parameter of heightened catecholaminergic drive. In mice, insulin‐ and glucose injection both improved EPI‐induced AHF and myocardial damage, indicating insulin resistance rather than detrimental effects of hyperglycaemia itself as the underlying cause. Future studies will investigate the role of HbA1c as a risk stratifier and of insulin‐based therapy in TTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though peer tutors are often used in gross anatomy courses, research in the field is rather a subject of the last two decades. This is especially true about the didactical challenges these types of peer tutors experience during their tutorials and about how they are prepared for the task. The aim of the presented study was to learn about the training needs of the tutors, and to subsequently design, implement, and evaluate a didactical training concept. A qualitative design was chosen to examine how tutors can best be prepared for tutorials of gross anatomy. To do so, focus group interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed and grouped into various concepts, using semi-structured interview questions as guidance. It was found that peer tutors are in need of training in the following aspects: Dealing with students who are experiencing difficulties during or as a result of dissection, dealing with group dynamics, that is, at the dissection table, keeping students motivated, time management, and staying confident as a tutor. In order to be regarded as useful and relevant in the eyes of tutors, a preparatory training course should include all these aspects in addition to general didactical training elements. Training needs of peer tutors of gross anatomy go beyond the content of standardized didactical curricula; therefore, tutors should be prepared with a curriculum that is specifically geared toward the many challenges associated with teaching gross anatomy to first year medical students which are already so well documented in the research literature.