Health Professionals in the 21st Century: Results from an Inter Professional and Multi-institutional Global Health Competencies Survey (A Pilot Study).
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Date
2014-04-01
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Abstract
Introduction: In the new century, worldwide health professionals face new pressures for
changes towards more cost-effective and sustainable health care for all populations.
Globalization creates daunting challenges as well as new opportunities for institutions
and health professionals being more connected and rethink their strategies toward an
inter professional practice. Although Health professionals are paying increased attention
to issues of global health, there are no current assessment tools appropriate for
evaluating their competency in global health. This study aimed to assess global health
competencies of family medicine residents, nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy students.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five universities across
Ontario, Canada. The online survey drew from 429 participants, including students and
residents between May to October 2011. The surveys were previously evaluated for face
and content validity and reliability. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used
to evaluate the quantitative data. The level of significance was set at 5%.
Results: Self-reported knowledge and confidence in global health issues and global
health skills were low for family medicine residents, nursing, physiotherapy and
occupational therapy students. The percentage of residents and students who selfreported
as confident was less than 60% for all global health issues.
Conclusion: This study also highlights a need for the development of interdisciplinary
education in global health. The new century requires professionals competent in global
health. Institutions must offer interprofessional approaches and a curriculum that
exposes them to varied learning methods and opportunities to improve their knowledge
and skills in global health.
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Keywords
Globalization, health equity, health professionals, global health
Citation
Veras Mirella, Pottie Kevin, Deonandan Raywat, Welch Vivian, Ramsay Tim, Tugwell Peter. Health Professionals in the 21st Century: Results from an Inter Professional and Multi-institutional Global Health Competencies Survey (A Pilot Study). British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2014 Apr; 4(10): 2002-2013.