Institute for Excellence in Health Professions Education (ieHPE)
https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/250
Research and Scholarly work of ieHPE2024-03-28T16:32:44ZIdentification of Key Factors for Optimized Healthcare Services: A Protocol for a Multi-phase Study of the Dubai Vaccination Campaign
https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/1150
Identification of Key Factors for Optimized Healthcare Services: A Protocol for a Multi-phase Study of the Dubai Vaccination Campaign
Faroun, Hayette; Zary, Nabil; Gad, Kareem; Al Suwaidi, Hanan
Background:
Mass vaccination of the global population against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) posed multiple challenges, including effectively administering millions of doses in a short period of time while ensuring public safety and accessibility. The Government of Dubai launched a mass campaign in December 2020 to vaccinate all its citizens and residents, targeting the population over the age of 18 against COVID-19. The vaccination campaign involved a transformation of multiple commercial spaces into mass vaccination centers (MVCs) across the city of Dubai, the largest of which was the Dubai One Central (DOC) Vaccination Center. It was operational between 17 January 2021 and 27 January 2022.
Objective:
The multi-phase research study aims to empirically explore the opinions of multiple healthcare stakeholders, elicit the key success factors that can influence the effective delivery of emergency healthcare services such as COVID-19 MVCs, and explore how these factors relate to one another.
Method:
To understand more about the operations of the Dubai One Central vaccination center, the study follows a multi-phase design divided into two main sections. The study is conducted by the Institute for Excellence in Health Professions Education (ieHPE) at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) between December 2021 and January 2023. To elicit the key success factors that contributed to the vaccination campaign administered at DOC, the research team conducted 30 semi-structured interviews (SSI) with a sample of staff and volunteers who worked at the DOC vaccination center. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants, and the interview cohort included representatives from the management team, team leaders, administration and registration team, vaccinators, and volunteers. A total of 103 people were invited to take part in the research study and 30 people accepted to participate in the SSI interviews. To validate the participation of various stakeholders, the second phase analytically investigated one’s subjectivity through Q-methodology and empirically investigating the opinions obtained from the research participants during phase 1.
Results:
As of July 2022, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the research participants. The expected results from the project's first phase will be the identification of key success factors, enablers, and barriers of the design and operation of the Covid-19 vaccination center at DOC. While the expected results from the study's second phase will identify patterns of similarities and differences in the ranking of the Q-sets. The final set of results from this dataset will quantitatively interpret the common answers amongst participants and the correlation between the selected success factors relating to the study.
Conclusions:
The study will provide a comprehensive two-phase approach to obtaining the key success factors that can influence the delivery of high-quality healthcare services such as emergency services launched during a global pandemic. The study's findings will be translated into key factors that could support designing future healthcare services utilizing evidence-based practice. In line with future plans, a study will use data, collected through the One Central vaccination center, to develop a simulation model outlining the process of the customer journey and center workflow.
2022-01-01T00:00:00ZProfiling of Learners in Medical Schools as a Move Toward Precision Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review
https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/1149
Profiling of Learners in Medical Schools as a Move Toward Precision Education: Protocol for a Scoping Review
Salman, Hira; Powell, Leigh; Alsuwaidi, Laila; Nair, Bhavana; Tegginmani, Shakeel Ahmed; Mohamadeya, Jalal; Zary, Nabil
Background:
Academic experiences seek to get the best out of learners, maximizing performance and developing the skills and competencies needed to foster lifelong learning. The more personalized and tailored the academic experience among learners, the better the outcome. Precision education is a novel approach to research and practice, which is concerned with identifying and tailoring education to the precise needs of the learner. An emerging area of precision education is using data to develop learner profiles for a better understanding of individual learners relative to the characteristics and competencies of lifelong learners.
Objective:
This scoping review aims to identify literature that reports on profiling learners within medical schools. Our review, as described in this paper, will describe the characteristics being measured, the methods and data sources used to generate profiles, and the resulting profiles that emerge. This review aims to provide guidance to those supporting medical school learners on the current state of learner profiling.
Methods:
This scoping review will use the Population, Concept, and Context framework, published by Joanna Briggs Institute, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The search strategy was developed in collaboration with a library specialist. An initial search was conducted in PubMed, ERIC, Google Scholar, Cochrane, CINAHL, and SCOPUS. Data will be extracted, and 2 authors will undertake the screening procedure using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist.
Results:
The database searches yielded 166 results, and title and abstract screening of 135 extracted articles is currently underway after eliminating 31 duplicates. We anticipate the scoping review to be completed in the first week of October 2022. The final scoping review will present the findings in a narrative and pictorial fashion. Conclusions: This review will help guide scholars looking to understand the current state of learner profiling within medical schools.
2022-01-01T00:00:00ZDigital Health for Supporting Precision Medicine in Pediatric Endocrine Disorders: Opportunities for Improved Patient Care
https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/688
Digital Health for Supporting Precision Medicine in Pediatric Endocrine Disorders: Opportunities for Improved Patient Care
Zary, Nabil
Abstract:
Digitalization of healthcare delivery is rapidly fostering development of precision medicine. Multiple digital technologies, known as telehealth or eHealth tools, are guiding individualized diagnosis and treatment for patients, and can contribute significantly to the objectives of precision medicine. From a basis of “one-size-fits-all” healthcare, precision medicine provides a paradigm shift to deliver a more nuanced and personalized approach. Genomic medicine utilizing new technologies can provide precision analysis of causative mutations, with personalized understanding of mechanisms and effective therapy. Education is fundamental to the telehealth process, with artificial intelligence (AI) enhancing learning for healthcare professionals and empowering patients to contribute to their care. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region is rapidly implementing telehealth strategies at all levels and a workshop was convened to discuss aspirations of precision medicine in the context of pediatric endocrinology, including diabetes and growth disorders, with this paper based on those discussions. GCC regional investment in AI, bioinformatics and genomic medicine, is rapidly providing healthcare benefits. However, embracing precisionmedicine is presenting some major new design, installation and skills challenges. Genomic medicine is enabling precision and personalization of diagnosis and therapy of endocrine conditions. Digital education and communication tools in the field of endocrinology include chatbots, interactive robots and augmented reality. Obesity and diabetes are a major challenge in the GCC region and eHealth tools are increasingly being used for management of care. With regard to growth failure, digital technologies for growth hormone (GH) administration are being shown to enhance adherence and response outcomes. While technical innovations become more affordable with increasing adoption, we should be aware of sustainability, design and implementation costs, training of HCPs and prediction of overall healthcare benefits, which are essential for precision medicine to develop and for its objectives to be achieved.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZTaking a Leap of Faith:A Study of Abruptly Transitioning an Undergraduate Medical Education Program to Distance-Learning Owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic
https://repository.mbru.ac.ae/handle/1/687
Taking a Leap of Faith:A Study of Abruptly Transitioning an Undergraduate Medical Education Program to Distance-Learning Owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Du Plessis, Stefan; Otaki, Farah; Zaher, Shroque; Zary, Nabil; Inuwa, Ibrahim M.; Lakhtakia, Ritu
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities worldwide to immediately transition to distance-learning. Although numerous studies have investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on universities in the Middle East, none have reflected on the process through which medical education programs for health professions underwent this transition. This study aimed to elucidate the rapid transition to distance-learning of an undergraduate medical program at the College of Medicine, Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. An action research approach constituted the foundation of this collaborative effort that involved investigations, reflections, and improvements of practice, through ongoing cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. Efforts of transitioning to distance-learning were grouped into four interrelated aspects: supporting faculty members in delivering the program content, managing curriculum changes, engaging with the students to facilitate distance-learning experiences, and conducting web-based assessments. Challenges included the high perceived uncertainty, need for making ad hoc decisions, lack of experiential learning and testing of clinical skills, and blurring of work-life boundaries. Our preliminary findings show the successful generation of a strong existing digital base, future prospects for innovation, and a cohesive team that was key to agility, rapid decision-making, and program implementation.
2021-01-01T00:00:00Z