Health Services Research Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Med Educ Online. 2023 Dec;28(1):2211820. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2023.2211820.
Studies have shown that national-level initiatives to equip medical students with relevant digital competencies carry many benefits. Yet, few countries have outlined such competencies for clinical practice in the core medical school curriculum. This paper identifies current training gaps at the national level in digital competencies needed by students in the formal curricula of all three medical schools in Singapore from the perspectives of clinical educators and institutional leaders. It bears implications for countries that intend to implement standardized learning objectives for training in these digital competencies. Findings were drawn from in-depth interviews with 19 clinical educators and leaders of local medical schools. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were interpreted using qualitative thematic analysis. Thirteen of the participants were clinical educators while 6 were deans or vice deans of education from one of the three medical schools in Singapore. While the schools have introduced some relevant courses, they are not standardized nationally. Moreover, the school's niche areas have not been leveraged upon for training in digital competencies. Participants across all schools acknowledged that more formal training is needed in digital health, data management, and applying the principles of digital technologies. Participants also noted that the healthcare needs of the population, patient safety, and safe procedures in the utilisation of digital healthcare technologies should be prioritized when determining the competencies needed by students. Additionally, participants highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among medical schools, and for a stronger link between current curriculum and clinical practice. The findings highlighted the need for better collaboration among medical schools in the sharing of educational resources and expertise. Furthermore, stronger collaborations with professional bodies and the healthcare system should be established to ensure that the goals and outcomes of medical education and the healthcare system are aligned.
研究表明，国家层面的举措为医学生提供相关数字能力培训具有诸多益处。然而，很少有国家在医学院核心课程中为临床实践概述此类能力。本文从临床教育者和机构领导者的角度，确定了新加坡三所医学院正式课程中学生所需的当前国家层面的数字能力培训差距。这对计划为这些数字能力培训实施标准化学习目标的国家具有启示意义。研究结果来自对 19 名临床教育者和当地医学院领导的深入访谈。参与者采用目的性抽样法招募。使用定性主题分析对数据进行解释。其中 13 名参与者是临床教育者，而 6 名是新加坡三所医学院中的一所的院长或教育副院长。虽然这些学校已经开设了一些相关课程，但这些课程在全国范围内并没有标准化。此外，学校的特色领域也没有被利用来进行数字能力培训。三所学校的所有参与者都承认，在数字健康、数据管理和应用数字技术原则方面需要更正式的培训。参与者还指出，在确定学生所需的能力时，应优先考虑人口的医疗需求、患者安全以及数字医疗技术的使用安全程序。此外，参与者强调需要加强医学院之间的合作，以及加强当前课程与临床实践之间的联系。研究结果强调了医学院之间在共享教育资源和专业知识方面更好地合作的必要性。此外，应与专业机构和医疗保健系统建立更紧密的合作关系，以确保医学教育和医疗保健系统的目标和结果保持一致。
