Ahmed Syed, DeFino Mia C, Connors Emily R, Kissack Anne, Franco Zeno
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Clin Transl Sci. 2014 Jun;7(3):196-200. doi: 10.1111/cts.12153. Epub 2014 Apr 9.
Engagement of the community through informal dialogue with researchers and physicians around health and science topics is an important avenue to build understanding and affect health and science literacy. Science Cafés are one model for this casual interchange; however the impact of this approach remains under researched. The Community Engagement Key Function of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin hosted a series of Science Cafés in which topics were collaboratively decided upon by input from the community. Topics ranged from Personalized Medicine to Alzheimer's and Dementia to BioMedical Innovation. A systematic evaluation of the impact of Science Cafés on attendees' self-confidence related to five health and scientific literacy concepts showed statistically significant increases across all items (Mean differences between mean retrospective pre-scores and post-scores, one tailed, paired samples t-test, n=141, p<.0001 for all items). The internal consistency of the five health and scientific literacy items was excellent (n=126, α=0.87). Thematic analysis of attendees' comments provides more nuance about positive experience and suggestions for possible improvements. The evaluation provides important evidence supporting the effectiveness of brief, casual dialogue as a way to increase the public's self-rated confidence in health and science topics.
通过与研究人员和医生围绕健康与科学话题进行非正式对话来促进社区参与，是增进理解并影响健康与科学素养的重要途径。科学咖啡馆就是这种随意交流的一种模式；然而，这种方法的影响仍有待研究。威斯康星东南部临床与转化科学研究所的社区参与关键职能部门举办了一系列科学咖啡馆活动，活动主题由社区反馈共同决定。主题涵盖从个性化医疗到阿尔茨海默病与痴呆症，再到生物医学创新等方面。对科学咖啡馆活动对参与者与五个健康和科学素养概念相关的自信心的影响进行的系统评估显示，所有项目在统计学上均有显著提高（平均回顾性预评分与后评分之间的平均差异，单尾，配对样本t检验，n = 141，所有项目p <.0001）。五个健康和科学素养项目的内部一致性非常好（n = 126，α = 0.87）。对参与者评论的主题分析为积极体验和可能的改进建议提供了更多细微差别。该评估提供了重要证据，支持简短、随意的对话作为一种提高公众对健康和科学话题自我评定信心的方式的有效性。
