Browsing by Author "Kasunjith, D.V.T."

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    Evaluation of the undergraduate family medicine programme of Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya: quantitative and qualitative student feedback.
    (BioMed Central, 2019) Perera, D.P.; Withana, S.S.; Mendis, K.; Kasunjith, D.V.T.; Jayathilaka, W.T.S.; Wickramasuriya, S.
    BACKGROUND:Worldwide there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of primary care. The ministry of health Sri Lanka issued a directive in 2016 that training of doctors in primary care should be strengthened. Medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya follow a 1 month long clinical appointment in family medicine in their fourth year of study. METHODS:Feedback is taken from students on completion of the appointment. Half the students from each group complete a pre tested structured feedback questionnaire that consists of answers to questions based on a likert scale with a space for free comments. The other half provide qualitative feedback. In this evaluation data were gathered from 185 (98%) students from all eight clinical groups throughout the year 2016. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 22. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data from the Round Robin activity and free comments from the questionnaire. RESULTS:The qualitative feedback provided a richer indepth overview of student ideas on the appointment compared to the quantitative data. In reflection of a desire for learning to be of relevance students wanted clinically oriented teaching focused on management. They preferred active teaching learning methods such as the opportunity to conduct consultations and receive immediate feedback. Students had a high regard for the teaching sessions by general practitioners at their clinics. The appointment had created an interest in the discipline of family medicine which could have an impact on future choice of career. There were indications to suggest that student attitudes towards patients may have evolved to be more patient centred. Students appreciated the inclusive and low stress ambience of the learning environment. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:Regular evaluation of teaching programmes helps maintain accountability of faculty and paves the way for more student centred teaching through the incorporation of students' views in devising teaching methods. This evaluation found that qualitative feedback provided more descriptive material to reflect on and therefore improve teaching on the programme. It is recommended that more use should be made of qualitative methodologies in programme evaluations.
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    Why do people travel upto 70km to seek treatment from the Colombo North Teaching Hospital Outpatient Department? A qualitative study
    (Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2018) Perera, D.P.; Withana, S.S.; Mendis, K.M.; Kasunjith, D.V.T.; Jayathilaka, W.T.S.; Wickramasuriya, S.W.; Govinthadas, S.; Kalansooriya, R.; Welhenage, C.
    INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Bypassing nearby primary care facilities to seek treatment from teaching/general hospital OPDs is a known challenge to the equitable distribution of healthcare. A 2017 morbidity study at CNTH OPD showed that 25.3% travelled distances more than lOkm to visit the OPD. Our aim was to understand why patients travel straight line distances more than lOkm to seek healthcare from the CNTH OPD.METHODS: Four trained medical student interviewers conducted individual in-depth interviews with patients attending the CNTH OPD from a distance of more than lOkm. Interviews were conducted in Sinhala/Tamil, recorded, transcribed and translated to English prior to inductive thematic analysis until there was saturation of themes.RESULTS: Participants were 13 female and 10 male patients from 24 to 68 years; from distances of 12km to 69km. Significant driving factors that emerged were a) trust in the quality of care arising from prior satisfactory experience and social perceptions, b) efficient administration and better facilities, c) perceived severity of the illness, d) reluctance to seek treatment from nearby healthcare facilities due to perceived inefficiencies in administration, lack of facilities and poor service delivery, e) ease of access using the train system, f) familiarity with the institution and personal connections with staff members and g) incidental visits to CNTH or Ragama town not related to healthcare.CONCLUSION: Patients appear to make calculated decisions on which healthcare facility to attend based on the desire to receive the best care possible. However, some visits were inappropriate and contributed to unnecessary overcrowding of the OPD.