Community-based education (CBE) - the MED 113 Expo as case study

[摘要] English: Background: Societal complaints that health professionals do not address their needs,the ratio of specialist to primary health care professionals and that human resources inhealth services are concentrated in the private sector, urged new methods of teaching andlearning to be explored. Community-based Education (CBE) is one of the educationalapproaches that could address these concerns. Aim: The aim of this study was todetermine if community-based activities could help students to integrate theory andpractice, and influence attitude and behaviour towards the community. In addition itaimed to determine if community exposure motivated students and stimulated theirenthusiasm towards CBE. These aims were achieved by determining student opinion onthe learning process, experience and assessment as well as determining whether thecommunity and services benefited in any way. The final aim was to refine thecommunity-based education model in module MED113 to serve as future reference fordevelopment of CBE approach in other modules. Method: It was a quantitative studyincluding a literature study and the completion of questionnaires by first year medicalstudents, learners, community health care workers and representatives of institutionsparticipating in CBE activities. Results: The results yielded a 75.7% positive responsewith regards the integration of theory and practice and a 77.9% positive responseregarding change in attitudes towards the community. 93.6% of respondents'enthusiasm towards CBE activities improved. 94.3% and 54.1 % of respondents werepositive regarding the experience and method of assessment respectively. There was a100% positive response by learners, community health workers and representatives ofinstitutions with regards the learning experience and value for the institutionsrespectively.Conclusion: Recommendations regarding changes to the CBE activities of MED 113were made to use it as model in other CBE modules.

[发布机构] University of the Free State