PROBLEM SOLVING FOR BETTER HEALTH (PSBH)
Since 1993, Health Action by People has been associating itself with 71 medical colleges in India on an exciting health problem solving experiment with undergraduate medical students. The project titled Problem Solving for Better Health is international in character and exists in 30 countries. The Indian programme is unique in focusing attention on medical students generally under the leadership of the Department of Community Medicine. The programme imparts problem solving skills in community health to undergraduate medical students through an intensely participatory workshop, lasting 3-4 days. The feedback from the faculty and students is quite positive. The programme fulfils the objectives laid down by Indian Medical Council, on learning public health and community medicine.
Health Action by People acts as the prime mover of this project in India. It is a group of competent public health professionals with a wide range of teaching and research experience. It is our endeavour to act as a catalyst in making learning of community medicine an enjoyable experience for the students. The success of the programme depends on the leadership provided by the host faculty in each college.
During the workshop, the students identify ‘problems’ which are then developed into research protocols under the guidance of facilitators. After the workshop, the faculty selects a few protocols for implementation. The projects so selected are assigned to a group of 3-4 students. After completing the study the students have to present their work in a reunion workshop. Regarding the support that HAP gives to participating colleges, we pay at the rate of Rs.1000/ per completed project, subject to a maximum of Rs 30,000/- per college. The money was being disbursed on receipt of copies of the project reports of the first workshop. From the second workshop onwards, HAP continued to support the activity financially, but on a slightly diminishing terms.
Until October 2006, the PSBH Project was supported by Dreyfus Health Foundation (DHF), New York. Since 2007-08, no funds were forthcoming from DHF. Hence the support given by HAP for the PSBH and Research Methodology workshops was limited to providing the Certificates and Badges to the participants and Faculty. The financial support was provided by the respective colleges.
Consultancy services
HAP also provides short-term consultancy services for various organizations;
Some recent consultancies that HAP has undertaken are:
- DFID enquiry into Decentralisation and Health - Panchayati Raj experiences in Kerala
- Quality assurance in Indian Hospitals - The World Bank
- Integrated Child Development Services in Kerala, Phase III - The World Bank and Government of India.
HAP also undertakes campaigns for educating the public about various health issues. HAP conveys its messages through posters, books and television spots.
Tobacco control:
HAP has been involved in tobacco control since its inception. Activities include building a coalition of schools against tobacco usage, HAP also initiated a school level awareness programme in which nearly 100,000 school children signed a memorandum against tobacco usage, and this memorandum was handed over to the prime minister of India.
Round Table Conferences:
HAP’s involvement with the medical profession also takes the form of Round Table Conferences on topical themes. Some topics recently covered are immunization, leptospirosis and healthy living.
Research Methodology Workshops
HAP also conducts research clinics, which include methodology workshops and scientific assistance to young researchers.The main objective of the workshop is to train the participants how to formulate a research question, decide on an appropriate design, develop a protocol, implement, analyze, interpret, write and present the report
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY WORKSHOP FOR POST GRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS AND JUNIOR FACULTY
Participants Clinical and non-clinical post graduate students in medical colleges. Junior Faculty of the medical colleges.
Objectives At the end of the workshop, the participant should be better equipped to
- formulate a research question
- decide on an appropriate design
- develop a protocol
- implement the research program
- analyze, interpret the data
- write and present a report/ dissertation/ journal article
- Critically read published research
Duration Three days
Format The workshop is intensely participatory in nature and consists of
- Group work (9 hours)
- Individual assignments (overnight)
- Computer based exercises (4 hours)
- Theme lectures (12 hours)
Total 25 hours (spread over three days)
Lectures
Why research?
Overview of scientific research in medicine
- History and evolution of medical research
- Scientific approach and philosophy of research
- Types of research – clinical research, community research, Fundamental research, applied research.
- Research culture
- Funding for research
Frame work of research
How to frame a good research question?
- A good question, the first step in research
- Importance of framing a good question
- Characteristics of a good question
Design strategies
- Various designs in medical research
- Descriptive studies
Individual- case reports, case series
Population- correlational studies, cross sectional surveys
- Analytical studies
Observational- case control studies, cohort studies; Retrospective and prospective studies
Interventional- clinical trials
- Statistical association
Bias, confounding, chance, validity and generalisablity, causality
Use of samples in research
- Importance of choosing the right sample size
- Appropriate size of sample
- Sampling methods simple, stratified, cluster, Convenience/purposive
- Sample size estimates- methods
Making sense of your findings
Descriptive statistics
- Types of variables
- Measures of central tendency
- Measures of dispersion
- Probability distributions Normal-Binomial-Skewed
- Standard error
Inferential statistics
- Theory - Alpha error, Beta error, power of test
- Steps involved
- Interpretation of p value and confidence interval
Presentation of data
- Tables or Charts- how to make a choice
- Characteristics of a good table
- Choice of charts- Histogram, Line chart, Bar, Scatter
- Features of good charting
Learning from others
Literature review
- Searching the literature, scientific approach
- Critical review of published work
Critical use of the World Wide Web
Writing and publication
Writing up your work
- Standard format
- IMRAD
- Style of writing
- Peripheral components in your article-Title, running title, author sequence, corresponding author, list of keywords, abstract acknowledgement, references.
Ethics in Medical Research
- Guiding principles, Beneficence, non-malficence, justice, respect of persons
- Responsibilities of researcher
- towards the subject
- towards the institution
- towards the people
- Helsinki declaration
Qualitative approaches in Health Research
- Role of qualitative approaches in medical research
- Individual interview
- Focus Group Discussion
- Participant observation
- Triangulation
Group Work
Framing a question - 2.0 hrs
Design - Familiarizing with different designs through reading original articles and developing a suitable design for the research question - 2.0 hrs
Discussing individual protocols - 1.5 hrs
Exercises on inferential statistics - 2.0 hrs
Critical reading - 1.5 hrs
Computer Exercises
Data entry & analysis
Sample size estimation, t test, Chi square
Searching the World Wide Web - 4.0 hrs
International Honours Program (IHP)
The International Honours Program (IHP) brings together students from Western Universities who come and live with families in Trivandrum. They learn about the culture, development and health of this part of the world, thus providing a unique exposure to problems of development.
The International Honors Program offers students a unique opportunity to examine major social justice and sustainability issues facing the world today. Students examine a thematic topic in multiple countries in the semester or academic year, exploring how people in different countries create varied solutions to the common problems they face. For over 50 years, IHP has challenged students to ask new and better questions about their lifelong roles in a global community.
IHP programs offer a rigorous curriculum using different ways of learning. Experiential learning, through site visits and case studies, complements interdisciplinary team teaching led by in-country and traveling faculty. Homestays enable students to engage with local families and to immerse themselves in the culture and traditions of each country.
Themes such as public health, the environment, globalization, urban planning, governance, social justice and human rights are studied within the framework of three program offerings:
Overview
For over 50 years, the International Honors Program has provided an unequaled opportunity for college students to examine the most significant social, political and environmental issues confronting countries and cultures around the world.
The hallmark of IHP’s programs is a unique comparative approach in which participants study a thematic topic in several different countries over one semester or full academic year. This multinational perspective allows students to analyze and contrast today’s global conditions, evaluate issues and challenges, and compare solutions. The IHP experience engenders new questions and ideas and prompts students to consider their lifelong roles in the global community.
Students
Approximately thirty students are selected to participate in each program. Students are varied in their personal backgrounds, and are from different universities and many areas of study. Though most participants are college students or recent graduates, older students occasionally join the programs. IHP is unique in terms of both its intellectual content and its challenge for motivation and self-discipline of its students. For many alumni, the IHP experience directly influences their graduate school or career choice. IHP prompts students to ask lifelong questions about their role in a global community.
Distinguished Leadership
In keeping with its history of innovative leadership in international comparative education, the IHP's team-teaching system ensures the highest quality in academic oversight as well as a balanced, culturally aware approach to curriculum development. The Program takes maximum advantage of the breadth of cultural background, educational expertise, and geographic knowledge of our teaching and advisory faculty, country coordinators, and program directors.
Direct Exposure
To ensure exposure to each country's peoples and cultures, IHP arranges for students to stay in local homes and communities whenever possible. Many students stay in contact with their hosts for years afterward. Generally, at least one member of the host family will speak or understand some English.