Jacobs Robin J, Colon Jessica, Kane Michael N
Medical and Behavioral Research, Health Informatics, and Medical Education, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Medical School, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Aug 24;14(8):e28336. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28336. eCollection 2022 Aug.
Background There has been increased attention given to understanding the uses of medical cannabis (MC) for symptom management of various medical conditions. Physicians receive minimal training in medical school and rely mostly on anecdotal evidence; by proxy, medical students generally do receive formal training in MC. It is unknown how medical students perceive MC, including its efficacy, appropriateness in medicine, its possible adverse effects, and its value for patients. This study investigated medical students' perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward MC to better understand their knowledge about and attitudes toward MC. Method Using a semi-structured interview guide, eight focus groups were conducted with 83 medical students via Zoom virtual meeting platform (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, California, United States) in June 2022. The interviews were guided by the following content areas: (1) beliefs about cannabis' therapeutic utility, (2) perceived knowledge about MC, (3) the role of the physician regarding MC, (4) concern for cannabis' adverse effects, and (5) MC education in the school curriculum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, an iterative, systematic process of coding patterns, and emerged themes in the interview data to explore medical students' perceptions about MC. Themes were validated based on whether each theme captured distinct parts of the interview data and whether their content cohered meaningfully. Results Four themes emerged from the focus group interviews investigating medical students' perceptions of MC: (1) erroneous beliefs about MC, (2) unreliable sources of information, (3) mixed attitudes toward legalization, and (4) desire for MC education while in medical school. Attitudes regarding MC in general, including legalization, varied by United States state of origin of the student and exposure to MC (e.g., use by family member). Conclusion MC seems to be a significant issue for medical trainees who might be required to recommend it to patients and manage coexisting therapies. Cultivating new knowledge about students' perceptions and perceived knowledge about medicinal options and dosing of MC is critical for medical educators as they design undergraduate curricular initiatives for future physicians.
背景 人们越来越关注医用大麻（MC）在各种医疗状况症状管理中的应用。医生在医学院接受的相关培训极少，且大多依赖轶事证据；相比之下，医学生通常确实接受过关于医用大麻的正规培训。目前尚不清楚医学生对医用大麻的看法，包括其疗效、在医学中的适用性、可能的不良反应以及对患者的价值。本研究调查了医学生对医用大麻的认知、信念和态度，以更好地了解他们对医用大麻的了解程度和态度。 方法 2022年6月，通过Zoom虚拟会议平台（Zoom Video Communications, Inc.，美国加利福尼亚州圣何塞），使用半结构化访谈指南，与83名医学生进行了8个焦点小组访谈。访谈围绕以下内容领域展开：（1）对大麻治疗效用的信念，（2）对医用大麻的认知，（3）医生在医用大麻方面的作用，（4）对大麻不良反应的担忧，以及（5）学校课程中的医用大麻教育。使用主题分析法对数据进行分析，这是一个对编码模式进行反复、系统处理的过程，并在访谈数据中浮现出主题，以探索医学生对医用大麻的看法。根据每个主题是否涵盖访谈数据的不同部分以及其内容是否有意义地连贯一致来验证主题。 结果 焦点小组访谈中出现了四个主题，调查了医学生对医用大麻的看法：（1）对医用大麻的错误信念，（2）不可靠的信息来源，（3）对合法化的复杂态度，以及（4）在医学院期间对医用大麻教育的渴望。学生对医用大麻的总体态度，包括对合法化的态度，因学生的美国原籍州以及是否接触过大麻（例如家庭成员使用情况）而有所不同。 结论 对于可能需要向患者推荐医用大麻并管理共存疗法的医学实习生来说，医用大麻似乎是一个重要问题。在医学教育工作者为未来医生设计本科课程计划时，培养关于学生对医用大麻的看法以及对其药用选择和剂量的认知的新知识至关重要。
