Training Medical Students in Breast Health

Le résumé fourni par la source

BACKGROUND: Although medical students receive ample information about cancer screening guidelines, actual hands-on experience providing patient education about breast health and breast self-awareness is lacking. Students at a Florida medical school volunteer at community events to provide breast health education. This study assessed the effectiveness of a training in improving medical students' perceived knowledge, comfort and interest in breast health education. APPROACH: Students participated in a 60-min training to serve as breast health educators. The comprehensive and interactive training covered topics including breast cancer risk factors and preventative measures, breast self-awareness and screening. Participants completed pretraining and posttraining surveys to assess perceived knowledge and comfort in delivering breast health education and interest in participating in future events using 5-point Likert scales. A descriptive analysis was performed. EVALUATION: A total of 104 students completed the training, with 79% and 66% completing the pretraining and posttraining surveys, respectively. Before the training, 21% of students reported adequate or extensive knowledge, compared to 80% of students after the training. Students' reported comfort level as somewhat or very comfortable was 23% and 74% before and after the training, respectively. Eighty-nine per cent of students reported being somewhat or very interested before the training, compared to 86% after the training. IMPLICATIONS: Medical students' knowledge about breast health is limited. Our study demonstrates that a 60-min training enhances medical student perceived knowledge and comfort in delivering breast health education. The knowledge gained from a breast health education training may serve medical students as future physicians, regardless of specialty.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.