Abstract
Purpose
Due to geopolitical and socioeconomic challenges, the Family Medicine (FM) speciality in Palestine is in early stages of development. Volunteer British General Practitioner (BGP) trainers worked with FM faculty to develop an online tutorial program (OTP) and a novel evaluation framework E-QUaL (Evaluation-Quality, Utilization and Learning) to enhance residents’ patient-centered communication and clinical skills.
Materials and methods
Three OTP cycles were facilitated and evaluated at An Najah National University (ANNU) in Palestine between 2017–2020. Qualitative data were collected during focus groups and online chats and analysed.
Results and conclusions
The development and joint facilitation of the OTP developed faculty skills and enhanced clinically oriented education. The collaborative (BGPs and ANNU faculty) approach and the use of the EQUaL framework helped to identify and address strengths and opportunities as well as the challenges and threats of the educational content and the virtual learning format with each iteration. The COVID pandemic provided a new and inexpensive platform which improved training quality. Issues such as the volunteer nature of BGPs, internet instability, and differing cultural approaches and expectations between physicians and patients were addressed in a continuous quality improvement approach and continues today. This may be a useful model in other low resourced settings.
Ethical approval
This study was performed following the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of An-Najah National University (No. 9 Dec. 2018). All subjects involved in the research were invited to participate voluntarily after the study's purpose as well as the risks and the benefits of participation were explained. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants is included in the study.
Acknowledgements
Appreciation for Medical Aid for Palestinians and The Foundation for Family Medicine in Palestine for funding the initial tutorial platforms and the generous support of their volunteers.
Disclosure statement
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Suha Hamshari
Suha Hamshari, MD, PBFM, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Hina Shahid
Hina Shahid, MBBS, MSc, Foundation for Family Medicine in Palestine, London.
Lubna Saudi
Lubna Saudi, MD, JBFM, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Zaher Nazzal
Zaher Nazzal, MD, Consultan Community Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Therese Zink
Therese Zink, MD, MPH, Department of Family Medicine/Alpert School of Medicine + Behavioural and Social Sciences/School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence Rhode Island, USA.