Avaliação de estratégias de ensino sobre “Geriatria e Gerontologia” na graduação em medicina

Abstract

Introduction: The aging of the population is a global reality and this rapidly demographic transition brings new challenges to medicine. Within this context, the implementation of geriatric teaching in medical education is needed. However, few studies have already investigated how these educational interventions may impact the medical student training. New scientific evidence in this field can help in choosing new evidence-based educational strategies aiming an effective teaching-learning process. Objectives: To investigate the impact of different educational strategies on the subject “Geriatrics and Gerontology” in the development of medical students’ competences towards older people in different moments of undergraduate training. Methods: An educational intervention-based study (pre-post test design with a nonrandomized controlled group) was carried out in different undergraduate moments at the school of medicine – Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil). In the first semester of the medical course, brief new educational strategies (“Experiencing aging/Aging game” and “myths of aging”) were compared to a control group (not submitted to any intervention). In the fifth semester of the medical course, during a theoretical and practical “Geriatrics and Gerontology” subject, two educational strategies (flipped classroom and traditional lectures) were compared to a control group (not submitted to any intervention). All students were evaluated through their attitudes towards older persons (Maxwell-Sullivan, UCLA geriatric attitudes, Aging semantic differential), empathy (Maxwell-Sullivan) and knowledge (Palmore and cognitive knowledge). In the groups submitted to the intervention, we have also evaluated their skills (through a standardized patient assessment) and their opinions/satisfaction with the activities. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA for independent samples (comparison between groups) and t-test or ANOVA for repeated measures (comparison between different moments). Results: A total of 230 students were assessed in the first semester of the course and were divided in the following groups: 72 in the control group – CG, 82 in the “experiencing aging” group – EA and 76 in the “myths of aging” group - MA. Comparing pre and post test scores, EA group had a greater negativism and a worsening of attitude and knowledge, but an improvement in empathy. On the other hand, the MA intervention was associated with an improved attitude, knowledge and a positive view about aging. Comparing these different strategies, MA showed better attitude and knowledge in relation to EA and the control group. In the fifth semester, a total of 243 students were assessed, 77 in the control group – CG, 83 in the group exposed to traditional lectures (TR) and 83 exposed to the flipped classroom method (FL). Although both intervention groups showed a great increase in the attitudes, knowledge and skills comparing pre/post intervention and in comparison to the CG, the FL group showed higher knowledge and attitude than the TR group. We found no differences in the skills using a standardized patient. In addition, students in the FL intervention, felt more prepared to interview an older person, felt they had more knowledge and rated higher the discipline in comparison to the TR group. Conclusion: The present study shows that brief or long-term educational strategies in the teaching of geriatrics can impact the knowledge, attitude, empathy and students’ satisfaction, depending of the way these strategies are offered. These data highlight the importance of assessing the outcomes of educational strategies in medical teaching to ascertain in what manner, situations and settings these activities may be more effective in the teaching-learning process.