Abrams Christina M, Witherspoon DeAsia, Keller Everette, Picca Andrew J, Boucher Maria
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Aug 5;13(15):1909. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13151909.
Quality care of individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) is dependent upon education of the providers on their care team. Previous studies demonstrate lack of resident and provider comfort regarding care of patients with SCD, yet none have assessed these in medical students.
This study aims to evaluate the adequacy of the research instrument for measuring medical students' knowledge, confidence, and comfort regarding SCD and related complications prior to wider distribution.
A self-assessment survey was distributed to medical students at two universities to evaluate their knowledge, confidence, and comfort in general SCD topics, in all clinical settings, and regarding common complications.
Of the 98 responses, knowledge ( < 0.001) and confidence ( = 0.02) were significantly different between topics, including epidemiology and genetics, pathophysiology, and treatment options. For "treatment options", there were significant differences in knowledge ( = 0.02) and confidence ( = 0.02) between medical students at different levels of training. Students felt least knowledgeable and least comfortable with care of pregnant women and most knowledgeable and most comfortable with acute pain management. Caring for patients with specific SCD-related conditions increased knowledge and comfort across all domains.
This instrument was adequate for measuring knowledge, confidence, and comfort in caring for those with SCD across all clinical settings. We identified a lack of knowledge, confidence, and comfort regarding treatment for those with SCD starting early in medical careers, which improves after caring for patients with various complications. Thus, educating and providing SCD patient experiences is crucial for medical student management confidence related to SCD.
镰状细胞病（SCD）患者的优质护理取决于其护理团队中医疗服务提供者的教育程度。先前的研究表明住院医生和医疗服务提供者对SCD患者的护理缺乏信心，但尚无研究评估医学生的情况。
本研究旨在评估该研究工具在广泛分发之前，用于测量医学生关于SCD及其相关并发症的知识、信心和舒适度的适用性。
向两所大学的医学生发放了一份自我评估调查问卷，以评估他们在所有临床环境中对SCD一般主题以及常见并发症的知识、信心和舒适度。
在98份回复中，不同主题之间的知识（<0.001）和信心（=0.02）存在显著差异，包括流行病学和遗传学、病理生理学以及治疗选择。对于“治疗选择”，不同培训水平的医学生在知识（=0.02）和信心（=0.02）方面存在显著差异。学生们对孕妇护理的知识和舒适度最低，对急性疼痛管理的知识和舒适度最高。护理患有特定SCD相关病症的患者可提高所有领域的知识和舒适度。
该工具足以测量在所有临床环境中护理SCD患者的知识、信心和舒适度。我们发现医学生在职业生涯早期对SCD患者的治疗缺乏知识、信心和舒适度，而在护理患有各种并发症的患者后有所改善。因此，对医学生进行教育并提供SCD患者的护理经验对于提高他们对SCD患者的管理信心至关重要。
